With Thanksgiving upon us, it feels appropriate to reflect on the things we’re grateful for. Beyond friends, family, and food, I’m thankful for quite a bit. Living in Bowling Green day in and day out, it’s easy to forget the great things this town has to offer. That’s why I wanted to share with you the Bowling Green things I’m thankful for. In no particular order, they include:

Tidball’s —Still the best place I know to grab a beer and hear a damn good show. I saw three great bands, including The Shackeltons and Cage the Elephant, play there tonight. And thanks to their dollar drafts, even I could afford the $5 cover charge. Tidball’s is the last great music venue in Bowling Green, so check it out.

Gallery hops —Every few months local art galleries and shops get together to sponsor a gallery hop, in which local residents can travel from one locale to another looking at the amazing artwork and craftsmanship on display. A lot of places will have free hors d‘œuvres and wine, and the entire time you’re “hopping” you’ll feel like you’re somewhere much bigger than Bowling Green. The next gallery hop is scheduled for December 4. Click here for schedule

Riverscape —Sure, it sounds hokey, but the fact is there’s no more beautiful and romantic part of town than the old bridge over the Barron River. Located on the 31-W bypass at the end of College Street, Riverscape is the perfect place to take a date for a lovely evening stroll, take your dog for a brisk afternoon jog, or take yourself for some intense soul-searching.

Cage the Elephant —Seriously, they’re an awesome band. If you’ve never heard them play live, not only are you missing out, but you can’t call yourself a Bowling Green local. The biggest thing to come out of the local music scene since, well, ever, Cage is blowing up right now. And with their recent show at the Capitol, they may have reinvigorated a dying music scene here in town. (Check Cage the Elephant)

Greener Groundz —I realize that for many local hipsters, the heir to Bread and Bagel leaves much to be desired. But when you stop comparing then and now you find that Greener Groundz has its own unique charms. Sure, it isn’t the same as Bread and Bagel, but that’s okay. Molly Kerby and Bonita Bartley have opened up a coffee shop that, rather than catering solely to an undergrad indie scene, actually reaches out to a wider, but still progressive, crowd. (Plus, the food is amazing.)

Van Meter Hall —Do me a favor and smoke a cigarette there in the middle of the night. The crisp breeze blowing from the top of Vinegar Hill is invigorating as you look out over Warren County. It sounds hokey, I know, but watching city lights flicker in the middle of a cold winter’s night from the steps of Van Meter is one of the most inspired things to do in Bowling Green.

Women’s Studies —Promoting gender equality and women’s rights on campus, the women’s studies program does an amazing job of not only enriching the academic experience of its minors but sponsoring events that serve the campus and community. With programs such as the Women and Kids Learning Together Summer Camp and Genderations Colloquia Luncheons, Women’s Studies has a lot to teach us all about defeating patriarchy and creating an egalitarian society. (More on our Women’s Studies Program)

The Student Government Association —I get that most of you think SGA is a waste of time, full of resume builders and pompous bureaucrats. To a degree, you’re right; SGA could do with a bit more rebel rousing. That being said, Student Government is still the voice of the students to the administration and to the actual government. The fact that we have students whose sole job it is to advocate on behalf of us—the student body—is pretty wicked, no matter how stuffy they may seem. (Keep up with SGA)

The Kentucky Museum/University Archives —If you haven’t checked this place out, do it. The Kentucky Museum always has fresh, interesting exhibits on the history of Bowling Green and Kentucky, and the Kentucky Library and University Archives have amazing historic sources that tell the story of our state. It may sound dull and academic, but the things you can learn simply by visiting this building are phenomenal.

So there you have it—things I’m thankful for in Bowling Green. The fact is, we live in a pretty awesome town. It’s easy to forget this fact in the daily grind. So this Thanksgiving, be grateful for the things you do have, including the things WKU and Bowling Green have to offer. For we may not live in London (as this writer is painfully aware), but to quote Paul in David Levithan’s “Boy Meets Boy,”

“I know people always talk about living in the middle of nowhere—there’s always another place (some city, some foreign country) they’d rather be. But it’s moments like this that I feel like I live in the middle of somewhere. My somewhere.”

Happy Thanksgiving, Bowling Green.