I have found that among its other benefits, [giving] liberates the soul of the giver. ~Maya Angelou

This couldnʻt be more true for my friend and I, this Thanksgiving. .. We both did very thoughtful gestures for strangers in the spirit of giving and were (if itʻs possible) more stoked on life than those who received. The invigorating feeling we felt after the deed was as addicting as Starbucks coffee...

Speaking of Starbucks... if you follow me on twitter, you may or may not know how serious I am about my Starbucks coffee, especially while traveling ;) ..I used to work at a Starbucks, I was 13, it was my first real job aside from babysitting and I had to get a workers permit, couldnʻt work passed 9PM etc. etc. I loved it! I have nothing but sweet memories from my time working at Starbucks, and will always hold the company close to my heart--and excuse me if Iʻm biased when it comes to good coffee!

Anyway, the Starbucks I frequent in Huntsville, AL, is close to where I live, and like any Starbucks-goer, Iʻve got to know some of the baristas. ..

Aside from being the "girl that orders complicated drinks--but says them correctly"--I am also "the girl with the Hawaiʻi Starbucks Card" ...Every time I pay for my merch, I use my Hawaiʻi Starbucks Card, and every time, I always get an excited reaction..one gal in particular always quadruples her smile when she sees the card as she had mentioned before, when she first saw it how she would LOVE to go to Hawaiʻi some day. ..and what she would give to get a Hawaiʻi Starbucks Card...

Well.. .

It just so happens, I tend to pick up Starbucks Cards where ever I go, especially if itʻs one Iʻve never seen before. Also, Iʻm not sure HOW Iʻve become so organized with all these Starbucks Cards because I move a lot!! But to now avail, there they all are, in the midst of all my office stuff..and

..Score!

This is exactly the one I was looking for!

This is the very card I wanted her to have to represent the 50th State--the Aloha State--to represent love and thoughtfulness.

I got my Starbucks friend a very sweet Thank You card and wrote all kinds of sweet nothings, expressing how special she is and how much sheʻs appreciated then I surprised her! She was so excited--I have never seen anyone open a card so fast in my life, and the joy on her face reminded me of the happiest kid on earth waking up Christmas morning to find hundreds of gifts under a tree...it just melted my heart. I had never felt more amazing... and at that moment I realized [again] that there is just nothing better than giving to others to show thanks... I love Thanksgiving!! I love to express to everyone in my life how special they are and how grateful I am.

I am truly blessed to bless others!

I hope you had a phenomenal Thanksgiving.. I know I did!