Thankfulness

Since Thanksgiving was this past week, I have been trying to take time to think about all the things I am thankful for. I have realized that they are numerous. Of course, I am thankful for the normal things...a loving family (who is coming to visit me soon!) and great friends. But I am thankful for much more than that. My life has been truly blessed. I am so thankful for the opportunities I've had to live all over the world and experience new and different things. I'm thankful I have a job that I love and to which I enjoy going most days. I'm thankful to have colleagues that are incredibly supportive and caring and willingly teach me how I can improve. I'm thankful that I am financially stable and am able to spend money on myself and my travels often. :) I'm thankful to have a job and lifestyle that allow me to travel. I'm thankful that my life has purpose. I'm thankful for friends who challenge me. I'm thankful for strangers who encourage me. I'm thankful for my safety; something that is usually taken forgranted, but has been on my mind since people from my school left Mumbai (even the same part of town!) just 1 day before the terrorist attacks. I'm thankful that I always have people to lean on...near and far. Life is so good, and there is so much to be grateful for. When I stop and think about it, it amazes me.

This week was a good one. On Tuesday I received a package from people at Central. Inside were about 100 notes of encouragement. Some were from friends and others from complete strangers, but all of them brought a smile to my face. Not to mention a few tears at the incredibly kind words and rush of memories from school. It was great. Then, on Friday, Bethany came to Daejeon to visit me. It was a blast...we ate a lot at Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night then went to a DVD bang. On Saturday we spent the day shopping for xmas gifts, decorating my apartment, eating French toast, and hanging out at a coffee shop playing uno and dutch blitz. :) Sunday was church and shopping at Costco before she caught the train home. It was awesome to have her here; it's so fun to have such a good friend in Korea, too. Someone to share my experiences here.