Another year, another Turkey day! Each year as the big day approaches, I'm always given pause to consider the many things that I should consider myself thankful for from the past year. This year I have quite a bit on my list -- most notably that I got accepted (after being denied) to the University of Michigan. I left San Francisco, which although many of my friends do not understand me for saying so, but I'm incredibly thankful to be out of the Bay Area. And I've been pretty darn productive professionally as an academic and activist - productivity enabled by my mentors and generous institutions like UM.

Despite being glad to leave, I'm thankful for the support and love of all of my friends in San Francisco who made my two years there bearable (and at times even rather fabulous!). I miss them all dearly. I miss dancing my gay nights away with Jackson and being invited (weeks in advance!) to home cooked meals with Ethan. I miss coming to work every day to work for Jen and going to Yum Yum House for lunch to dish about all the latest office gossip with Liz. I miss going to overpriced meals and generally being fabulous with the lovely Bonnie -- and later stumbling home from Jen's while speaking (feigning?) drunken French. Yes - for all my reservations about the city - there are many things about my time in SF that I miss, and many people that I'm thankful for knowing.

Which brings me to Ann Arbor! What a tremendous place. I knew I'd be happy here when I first met my gaggle of queers via Cookie, who brought us all together over Gays Craze. And what a fab troupe to have! We're all first years in different programs (including American Culture, Communication Studies, and History). Some of my first-year colleagues in Sociology often lament their difficulties building a social life here in Ann Arbor, but thankfully I've never been able to agree. The day before classes started I already found my base - Paul, Annah, Cookie, and 'Dre! I think we planned a road trip to Toronto within about 5 seconds of knowing each other. What gems!

I'm lucky enough to have even more folks and support here at U of M! What cosmic fate that during my first semester here, one of my academic idols Kane Race would also be here all the way from Australia as a visiting scholar. And of course my time here would have never been possible without the mentorship and support of the lovely David Halperin. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to be on my side!

Transitioning to life in Ann Arbor has, so far, been smoother than I could have ever hoped for. I'm feeling academically and professionally productive. I've got a group of fabulous friends who know how to party and how to study. And, slowly but surely, I feel like I'm starting to understand what exactly a sociologist is - and how I fit into the discipline. And heck, the University is funding my trip to Mexico next month for the "AIDS in Culture" conference where I'll present my Master's research; San Francisco's DPH is paying for me to attend a 2-day summit there in January on rethinking prevention; I'm on the Creating Change Detroit host committee and (hopefully!) presenting two workshops there in February; I've been working with the LGBTI Health Summit organizing committee to strategize for upcoming gay men's health and LGBTI Health summits; and I'll hopefully be attending the Sixth Annual UNITY Conference in Chapel Hill in April. Now that's a whole lot to be thankful for!