Yes, it's that time of year again. The time of year where your mom or dad may tell you to be extra thankful, because Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I know everyone gets thoughtful about the things they are most thankful for in this season, it's a cliché, but one worth thinking about it. This year I've been thinking a lot about the simple things, which is also a huge cliché. Having traveled quite a bit this past year I feel like I have been given insight on what being truly thankful for the simpler things in life really means. Here are five very simple things I'm beyond thankful for this year:
Water
I know, big cliché. But there's a reason that the first thing I thought of this Thanksgiving season was water. I was in Mongolia earlier this year, one of three locations on a six-month long mission trip, and it is not safe to drink out of the tap water. Which meant that we had to buy gallon jugs of water that would last 11 people at least 2 days, and we were a very well hydrated team. At one point, because of traveling times, and the fact that all the stores had closed, my team and I went about 14 hours without water, which doesn't sound hard until you're driven to the point of extreme thirst and start seriously considering drinking the water out of the tap and risking whatever diseases might be lurking in the pipes. Luckily our team was given a ton of water at a church we spoke at the next day, but it definitely made me appreciate Oregon's delicious tap water when I got home.
My Pillow
While this one may seem pretty silly, I went six months abroad without my Tempur-Pedic pillow, and boy did I miss it. It's totally a first world thing to be thankful for. However after six months of a very inexpensive pillow, paired with a bad mattress, or sometimes even no mattress, I was ever so thankful for my pillow when I finally got home.
English
Three months of living in a different country that doesn't speak your language is tough. Although we did have many translators, who were amazing people, English isn't their first language so the phrase 'lost in translation' became very real to me in those three months. We mimed everything if they didn't speak the language. I never knew how helpful pointing and gestures could be until I was put into a situation where if I really needed something, like a bathroom, it was the only option left.
American Culture
I grew up thinking that American culture wasn't very 'strong' that we didn't really have one because we were a giant mix of cultures, it meant that we did not have a defined 'American culture.' I was most definitely wrong. American culture has been a huge part of making me who I am today, which I didn't realize until I left it. American culture was also probably one of the most ridiculed cultures on my team. Which made living with a bunch of Canadians challenging at times because of the difference and occasionally, dislike between the two cultures. It was great to come home to my own culture, to people who understood me in a way that non-Americans never really could.
Time-Zones
They're 24 time zones in the world. Being in a different one about every two and a half months was, not only quite tolling on my body but also my relationship with my friends and family back home. At one point I faced time my father on his birthday, we were both in bed, the only difference was that I was going to bed on the day that he was about to start. Plus there's something comforting about being the same time zone as your mom.
While these may seem like mundane or simple things to be thankful for, they have greatly impacted me in the last year. When I start to become frustrated or ungrateful at my circumstances I just think of one of these five things, and it humbles me and makes me realize once again, how grateful I am for the life that I lead. What five things are you thankful for this year? Let me know in the comment section below!
