This Thanksgiving, I’m Choosing Happiness Again.

Did You Know How Thanksgiving Began?

The Thanksgiving story commonly told today traces back to 1621, when Plymouth colonists celebrated a successful harvest after a devastating winter, joined by members of the Wampanoag Nation, whose assistance had helped them survive. Indigenous peoples had their own traditions of giving thanks long before this gathering. The broader history also includes conflict and the loss of Indigenous lands.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving observance, helping establish the annual tradition.

Thanksgiving later became closely tied to holiday shopping. Macy’s introduced its Thanksgiving parade in 1924, and in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday earlier to extend the Christmas shopping season and help retailers. Over time, Thanksgiving has evolved into a holiday shaped by gratitude, resilience, community, and commerce.

Why I’m Choosing to Celebrate Differently

I consider myself lucky. I was born into a lot of privilege. Both sides of my family worked hard, overcame challenges, and gave me access to great schools, opportunities, and people doing meaningful things in the world. I’ll always be grateful for that, even with all the complicated parts. I don’t believe in defining my life by what happened in the past. The past is gone, and the future still has to be built. For me, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to reflect on what I’m grateful for, recognize how far I’ve come, and choose what comes next. 

Regardless of how many times I’ve moved or lived away from home, I’ve been fortunate to nurture old friendships, build new ones, and have loyal, reliable, kind, and warm people in my life. I could certainly spend Thanksgiving with them. But this year, I also want to explore what it means to celebrate differently—not because I have no one to spend it with, but because I have the freedom to choose how I spend it.

Investing in Yourself, Investing in Your Community

I’ve realized something important: Whenever I’ve invested in myself, it has often become the foundation for what I’m able to contribute back to my communities.

Growing up, my parents sometimes scratched their heads at my ambitions to do my best in school, take the most challenging classes, and achieve perfect scores.

I later invested in attending some of the best private schools, paying my own tuition in full. That investment in my education has brought me stability, opportunities, meaningful relationships, and community. The same principle extends to my health, skincare, personal growth, relationships, and well-being.

Investing in yourself isn’t simply about looking better or feeling better. It’s about building the foundation for a full life—and being able to contribute to the lives of others.

Thanksgiving Doesn’t Look the Same for Everyone

We often imagine Thanksgiving as a warm family gathering, with everyone around a table sharing a meal. But that isn’t everyone’s reality. Some people come from divorced or complicated families. Others have lost loved ones, live far from home, or simply want a different kind of holiday. And more Americans are celebrating in different ways than the traditional holiday image might suggest.

According to a 2025 YouGov survey, 75% of Americans expected to celebrate Thanksgiving with at least one family member, while 31% expected to celebrate with a friend. The groups overlap, but they show that Thanksgiving isn’t limited to one kind of gathering. For those who are celebrating alone, with friends, or differently from their families, there’s no reason the holiday can’t be meaningful.

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

This year, I’ve been thinking about how we can use the holiday to invest in ourselves, reconnect with our communities, and make the most of where we live.

Maybe that means spending time with friends, enjoying a wonderful dinner without cooking, trying a new wellness experience, visiting a museum, or rediscovering a neighborhood we rarely have time to explore. And perhaps we can support local businesses and give back along the way.

Through INJOI.city, we’ll introduce 11 Southern California neighborhood editions, beginning with Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego.

The series will explore self-care, wellness, restaurants, hotels, local experiences, and opportunities to contribute to our communities.

Take care of yourself. Rediscover your neighborhood. Support local businesses. Give back. This Thanksgiving, I’m choosing happiness again. 

How are you choosing to spend yours?