Thankful

Being in Hong Kong, in a completely different culture, experiencing life away from everything normal…away from family and friends, experiencing the typical college “dorm” experience – having a roommate, and floor mates…traveling to foreign countries, basically my entire environment and lifestyle for the last 4 months has been everything but normal – nothing I’ve been used to…

And being in a new environment, around so many unfamiliar things, dealing with so many unfamiliar circumstances…it really makes you “thankful” for things you’ve never realized before! So this thanksgiving I give thanks for those things that I didn’t realize I loved and was so thankful for, until having this opportunity to come to Hong Kong…

1.   Friends! I never realized how awesome my friends are until having to make completely new friends! I love my new friends in Hong Kong and am so thankful for them as well – but I am especially thankful for those friends that I have made in college!
2.   Family! It’s been so great to see my family express their love for me as I’m halfway around the world. I’ve loved the cards, e-mails, and even Facebook comments. For all the encouragement and excitement they have showed during this whole experience…
3.   Being a Mountaineer! There is really no school spirit here at Lingnan, and definitely no football games. I miss the Gold&Blue and truly LOVE being a Mountaineer!
4.   My mattress – honestly, I’ve said it before, but I never realized what a necessity a mattress is until sleeping on wood and “foam” for 4 months!
5.   Running and the Rails-to-Trails in Morgantown! I love running and found a running path in Hong Kong, but I never realized how many beautiful and different places there are to run in West Virginia!
6.   Seasons – as much as I love the warm weather, I really enjoy seasons! I like fresh leaves of Fall and beautiful snow of Winter!
 7.  English – the fact that I can speak the “International Language” – this makes my life a lot easier! Unfortunately I still don’t understand any form of Chinese.
8.   My Car – Public Transportation is great, but I now appreciate having the ability to drive, it’s just so much more convenient! 

There are so many more little and funny things that I’ve realized I’m thankful for…like can-openers, air conditioner, Crystal Light packs, ovens, coffee makers…I could truly go on for days! Even when I’m back in America and it’s not Thanksgiving, I hope every day, I can realize all the things I’m thankful for!