Special Edition: Thankful for...

I spent Thanksgiving in Buenos Aires this year, I am pretty sure it is the first time I have ever celebrated this holiday without my family.  (I know I missed Christmas one year to go on a snowboarding trip with a family friend, but I don’t recall ever missing Turkey Day!)  Every year before, during or after we eat; our family goes around and says something they are thankful for.  I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful group of American girls when I first arrived in Buenos Aires and they were generous enough to invite me and a plethora of other Americans (and Argentines) to their apartment this Thanksgiving.  (I don’t know if you girls ever read this…but if you do…THANK YOU Mandy, Karina, and Michelle…it was incredible!!!)  The girls took care of the turkey and asked everyone else to bring along some sort of side dish.  We had more than enough food…I made stuffing.  Others brought mashed potatoes, vegetables, sweet potatoes, corn bread, and of course MORE than enough dessert.  I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the holiday.  At the end of the night we all went around and said one or two things we were thankful for (some people in Spanish and some in English) and while going around I couldn’t help but be reminded of my family and friends back home.  It warmed my heart and inspired me to write this blog…

Things I am thankful for this year: (Not necessarily in any order!)

-          2010 NCAA Men’s Bball championship: Duke winning the NCAA Tourney this year is and will always remain something I am thankful for in my life.  Thanks to my dad making some good (and intelligent) friends in college at Duke, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Final Four this year.  I don’t think I will ever be able to thank Fred enough for the absolutely incredible experiences he has provided me in my life, this one topping the list.

-          2010 World Series Champs: San Francisco Giants – Yes… I am a bit obsessed with sports.

-          Of course…my family.  There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about how lucky I am to have been raised by such amazing parents, friends and relatives.  I won’t try and list all of you, but I love you all.

o   Grammy – sorry I can’t be there to take you to the doctor, but hang around long enough and I’ll be happy to upon my return!

o   Grandma – to this day the most incredibly selfless, caring and nurturing person I have met.  I wish you were still around to read my blog (and this post), I know how happy it would make you simply to read and know about what is going on in my life.

-          Skype/Facebook: Laugh all you want, but without these two mind-blowing creations, I would be living a whole different experience right now.  I was able to Skype my family back home in San Diego last Thursday which was wonderful.  Thanks to Facebook, I am able to constantly stay in contacts with all my closest friends back home as well.

-          Speaking of friends…thankful for all of my friends back home.  Since I can…I’m going to give a shout out to my loyal reader back home in the 858…Connor Bird.  I am also so thankful for all of the incredible people I have met in Buenos Aires.  Every person I meet is so open-minded and welcoming towards a new individual joining their group of friends, it has made my transition down South so much easier. Couple more shout outs…

o   Kate – so glad we can still be friends through all this :)

o   Amy – so happy we can still talk…even thousands of miles away!!

-          Traveling:  I would have never considered embarking on this journey to South America if I had not grown up traveling the world.  So once again, thank you parents.  This voyage is something I will never forget.  (P.S. I can’t wait to have visitors!!! Anyone is welcome!)

-          Health:  Walking around this city, I am constantly reminded of the hardships that so many people must suffer through in their lives.  Such simple things as a bed to sleep in, a fresh meal and a place to wash down are taken for granted by most people in the US, but not in Buenos Aires.  It is impossible not to be thankful for the lives we live in the States after seeing the poverty in Buenos Aires.  The most heart-breaking part for me is that Buenos Aires is still better off than the majority of places in the world.  We are all lucky to be so happy and healthy and should remember this every day, not just on Thanksgiving.

-          Some smaller things…

o   Graduating – wasn’t quite sure it was happening until I actually picked up my diploma!

o   Bonzie / Shadow – it seems every other person in this city owns a dog, and it makes me miss mine like CRAZY!!!

o   Cooking – learned from one of the best (In my opinion) and now I am able to cook some delicious meals down here in BA.  There are so many foods in the States that don’t exist down here, so it is great to be able to cook some up on my own! Also, knowing how to cook helps turn cheap foods like potatoes, rice, onions, and carrots into delicious meals!

I am certain that I have forgotten some things… or that other people are thankful for plenty of different things…so PLEASE feel free to add comments and say what you are thankful for during this holiday season!  My love goes out to all of you.