Oh blog how I have missed you! As of lately, writing on my blog just can't happen anymore since I no longer have my own computer.
So it's my fifth month here in Costa Rica, and it's almost Thanksgiving in the US. Although I enjoy this holiday more than any other holiday, I am here, not there, and I need to find a different way to celebrate my thanks. These past 5 months have taught me more than all the years of my schooling put together, and I think there needs to be something said about that. Instead of thinking about all of the things that I miss or all of the things that I don't like, I am just going to be thankful for all that I have, for all that I enjoy.
So here is what 5 months living in Costa Rica has brought me:
-Although I am not yet fluent, I can really understand Spanish so much more now. I am thankful for that. Learning another language is a gift.
-Although I miss my cat Lucky, I have two new beautiful kittens, Stella Bella and Sole. I saved at least two of the many thousands of animals on the streets here in Costa Rica. At least now there are two more animals with a home, a warm and dry place to sleep, good food to eat, and love to be given to them. A small contribution to a large problem.
-I miss my circle of family and friends, but now I am slowly creating a new one. Though small, it has the potential to become much greater.
-I have seen so many beautiful animals and luscious forest, I am thankful to be a witness of the beauty of nature. Maybe someday it will all be gone, but for now, I enjoy every bit of it with gratitude.
-I am seriously grateful for mango to be back in season. I thought I wasn't going to make it through the tough time of no mangoes.
- I am also seriously grateful for the invention of Tabasco Sauce. It just makes everything better.
- I am thankful for the opportunity to live in another country, to experience things from a different perspective, and to be a part of another, very different, culture.
-Absolutely nothing is permanent in this life, and living in an ever rapidly changing environment has really showed me that truth.
-Not having many (seemingly simple) amenities available has forced me to be immensely grateful for simple things. (such as....)
--Thank you for running water, even though it's not hot, I can't imagine not having access to running water. The water here sometimes shuts off for a few hours or a day, and that always reminds me that there are way too many people in this world who do not have access to something that we so much so take for granted. Next time, think about what is happening around the world when you feel like complaining about power outages, or maybe when your hot water runs out from someone else taking a long time in the shower. Some of us don't have hot water, and even more of us don't have running water at all.
--Thank you for access to so much food. There are people who simply cannot afford to buy food from the store, or don't have transportation to get there, so they need to hunt.
--Thank you for enough financial stability in this mess of a world to be able to eat good food, travel, and even treat myself to something nice every now and then. I don't have much money at all, but it's enough to do the things that I want to do, and frankly, that's all we really need.
- Thank you most importantly for my family and friends, and their good health and happiness. And of course my happiness and health. Sounds cliche, but being so far away from my family and friends has given me a new appreciation. So thanks.
-Thank you to the Universe, or whatever higher power you believe in, for bringing me a very important person in my life. He has been a teacher, a soulmate, and an angel in my life.
Now that I read this all again, I have so much to be thankful for. So much more than is here. I hope more people take the time to appreciate small things, because you never know, in an instant everything could change, or be gone.
So it's my fifth month here in Costa Rica, and it's almost Thanksgiving in the US. Although I enjoy this holiday more than any other holiday, I am here, not there, and I need to find a different way to celebrate my thanks. These past 5 months have taught me more than all the years of my schooling put together, and I think there needs to be something said about that. Instead of thinking about all of the things that I miss or all of the things that I don't like, I am just going to be thankful for all that I have, for all that I enjoy.
So here is what 5 months living in Costa Rica has brought me:
-Although I am not yet fluent, I can really understand Spanish so much more now. I am thankful for that. Learning another language is a gift.
-Although I miss my cat Lucky, I have two new beautiful kittens, Stella Bella and Sole. I saved at least two of the many thousands of animals on the streets here in Costa Rica. At least now there are two more animals with a home, a warm and dry place to sleep, good food to eat, and love to be given to them. A small contribution to a large problem.
-I miss my circle of family and friends, but now I am slowly creating a new one. Though small, it has the potential to become much greater.
-I have seen so many beautiful animals and luscious forest, I am thankful to be a witness of the beauty of nature. Maybe someday it will all be gone, but for now, I enjoy every bit of it with gratitude.
-I am seriously grateful for mango to be back in season. I thought I wasn't going to make it through the tough time of no mangoes.
- I am also seriously grateful for the invention of Tabasco Sauce. It just makes everything better.
- I am thankful for the opportunity to live in another country, to experience things from a different perspective, and to be a part of another, very different, culture.
-Absolutely nothing is permanent in this life, and living in an ever rapidly changing environment has really showed me that truth.
-Not having many (seemingly simple) amenities available has forced me to be immensely grateful for simple things. (such as....)
--Thank you for running water, even though it's not hot, I can't imagine not having access to running water. The water here sometimes shuts off for a few hours or a day, and that always reminds me that there are way too many people in this world who do not have access to something that we so much so take for granted. Next time, think about what is happening around the world when you feel like complaining about power outages, or maybe when your hot water runs out from someone else taking a long time in the shower. Some of us don't have hot water, and even more of us don't have running water at all.
--Thank you for access to so much food. There are people who simply cannot afford to buy food from the store, or don't have transportation to get there, so they need to hunt.
--Thank you for enough financial stability in this mess of a world to be able to eat good food, travel, and even treat myself to something nice every now and then. I don't have much money at all, but it's enough to do the things that I want to do, and frankly, that's all we really need.
- Thank you most importantly for my family and friends, and their good health and happiness. And of course my happiness and health. Sounds cliche, but being so far away from my family and friends has given me a new appreciation. So thanks.
-Thank you to the Universe, or whatever higher power you believe in, for bringing me a very important person in my life. He has been a teacher, a soulmate, and an angel in my life.
Now that I read this all again, I have so much to be thankful for. So much more than is here. I hope more people take the time to appreciate small things, because you never know, in an instant everything could change, or be gone.
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