So much to be thankful for

As most of my friends and family are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, I am preparing to go to work in the morning.  The French are known for having many “holidays.” When I was still in the states it felt like James was on holiday every other week or so (maybe a bit of an exaggeration but not by much). Unfortunately for us Americans living in France, Thanksgiving doesn’t make the cut. I think if they knew what they were missing (amazing food surrounded by family and friends and followed up by Black Friday shopping) they would find a way to celebrate with everyone on the other side of the pond. It seems a bit strange to embark on my first holiday season in a foreign land.  While I may be missing out on one of my favorite holidays of the year, I am still reflecting on things I am grateful for.

Here are some things I am thankful for (in no particular order):

1.     Technology!!! I have no idea how I would survive without it. I seriously have no idea how the world functioned prior to the technology era we are in today. I rely so heavily on skype, viber, email, and free phone calls from the home phone to the states to stay in touch with my family and friends. I also spend a great deal of time on the internet keeping myself busy (TV in French is just a wee-bit challenging to understand still, big surprise). 

2.     My family! Moving ½ way around the world wasn’t only life changing/scary/difficult for me; it affected them too. They have been so supportive and encouraging. I have also loved the packages that I have received to try and bring some comforts of home here to France. 

3.     My kindle. That thing is a lifesaver. There is a lot of empty space to fill while using mass transit and reading on the train also makes the journey go by much quicker. 

4.     My husband! Moving to France is the biggest life change I have ever experienced.  I would have never made this leap if it wasn’t for his love and the future I see us building together. There are many mediocre things in life, those don’t challenge us to take big risks but they also often don’t result in reaching amazing new places either.  So I feel lucky to have an amazing man and a relationship that is anything but mediocre. I know I haven’t been the most pleasant person to live with these last few months. I have been scared, sad, stressed, and quite emotional as I try to navigate a whole new world. James has done his best to make this as easy as possible (even if he has had moments that he would gladly throw me back on a plane to the USA)! 

5.     James’ brother and his family. They have not only opened their home to us but have tried to help me experience all things French (cuisine, soccer, pastries, and so much more). They have also been the best language tutors, encouraging me to speak French, tolerating my horrible “Franglish”, and being translators when I am totally clueless. 

6.     My friends. Thank you for being there for me on this rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. Along with my family, I miss you all dearly but it means the world to me that you continue to allow me to stay a part of your life and connected to you despite the distance. 

7.     My new job and coworkers. They have been friendly, helpful and a great outlet for me to speak English and all things American. It’s nice to have others that understand so much of what I am going through without having to explain it. It’s also encouraging to see so many of them a little further along in their journey of assimilating to this culture and language and being successful at it. 

We will leave it at lucky number 7 for now :-)

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Give yourselves all a hug from me until I can do it in person! Please have an extra bite of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, or pumpkin pie for me as I don’t think it will taste so great if you try to ship it over.