My first Thanksgiving spent away from America, away from family and friends, away from Aunt Karen's pumpkin pie with Cool Whip, away from our traditional Black Friday shopping kicked off with breakfast at McDonalds, away from little second cousins running around, away from an intense game of spoons (Mandy, the win is all yours this year!), away from cold and possible snow. So many things that I'm going to miss and am already a bit sad about as the holiday weekend is approaching. But I will say that this year is a year for many new firsts. My first Thanksgiving in Africa, my first thanksgiving cooking some of the food on a braizer, my first spent with many new and wonderful friends, my first being able to share my new culture and life with family and friends back home as we use Skype to celebrate together, my first being able to wear shorts and a tank-top, and my first with a heart full of wonder and self-discovery after almost a year of living this incredible adventure.
As I look back over the last year during this season, I am reminded of the immense amount of things I have to be thankful for. I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to live in another culture and learn not only about the native people around me and the other volunteers, but also about myself. Though it's been one of the most painful parts of my life, I would never trade this for the world. Growing pains may hurt, but in the end, you end up closer to the person you're meant to be and you have such an incredible sense of self. And in the process of all of this, I have had unbelievable support from friends and family. From the day I sat at the coffee shop with Aidan filling out the final portions of my application, to everyone supporting me when I got my acceptance letter, to my new friends here who have dealt with my VAST emotional roller coaster that I've been riding. It has indeed been one amazing journey so far and I am so thankful for it all.
So as Thanksgiving approaches, I pray that all of you reading this, and even those of you who don't, I pray that you are surrounded by people you love and people who love you in return. Whether you're close to home, or oceans away, know that love is being sent your way and that today, as every day, presents you with infinite things to be thankful for. So take a moment this week to slow down and embrace the joy that each day presents to you. May the sorrow and pain of growing into "you" never outweigh the joy that surrounds you in every moment of that growth. And may you feel the love and the thankfulness I have that you're in my life fill you with extra joy. Thank you for helping me grow and become the woman I am today, and for continuing to shape me into the woman I am still becoming. From a very influential person in my life, I leave you with this during a week to be especially thankful: Grace & Peace.
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