Seeking Out a New Path

The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life. -Robert Louis Stevenson

The view from Perseverance Trail, one of the new trails I explored yesterday.

Well, here we are- at the end of a nice, long break for a few days and ready to sprint to the finish line before Winter Break!

In light of just celebrating Thanksgiving and coming out of a break full of self-reflection (which had its ups and downs), I want to count the things I am thankful for in this post:

1.   

   Thanksgiving meal with Lorrie and friends!
   I made my mom's infamous 24-hour
   fruit salad this year. :)

   I am thankful for Alaska. I still cannot believe that no matter which way I turn, I see beauty. It fills my heart! I can't believe I was called to such an incredible place with so much adventure.
   
   
2. I am thankful for Lorrie and her mentorship, as well as Dick, my university observer. They have been my cheerleaders and supporters these past few months and have helped me grow so much.
   
   
3. I am thankful for a fantastic review with Dick and Lorrie last week! They had very encouraging things to say about my work, and they both believe I have what it takes to be a teacher; I’m still figuring out if that’s what I want to do, but that was so helpful to hear!
   
4. I am thankful for good food and animals. There is nothing like feasting with friends, cuddling with dogs, and eating 7 peanut butter cookies in one day.
   
5. I am thankful for my friends here. I have a wonderful roommate with so much spunk, three amazing friends going through this program with me, and older mentors who respect me and pray for me.
   
6.   
   I am thankful for solitary prayer hikes and being a true Juneau resident. I walked in the pouring rain on two new trails for two hours yesterday, praying out loud the whole time. Did I abruptly stop when I passed the three people I saw? Why yes, I did. Was I still happy when I came home soaking wet in my Xtratufs? Yes, I was.
   
   
7. I am thankful for friends and family from home with whom I still remain very close. I took the time to catch up with old friends and to talk to my parents this break, which made a world of a difference. It was easy to feel lonely, being so far away from my loved ones on a holiday for the first time, but connecting with them helped me a lot.
   
   

8.   

   I also bought this formline design killer whale
   for myself at the market!

   I am thankful for participating in my first Black Friday! I bought a new, more professional-looking pair of boots for teaching at Fred Meyer AND a used iPad Air in mint condition that was half the normal retail price! I’m excited to get my iPad, Lila, in the mail next week and use it in the classroom (and yes, I name inanimate objects). :)
   
   
9. I am thankful for Christmas music that makes me feel at home. I joined 12 other local cellists to play Christmas songs at the Juneau Public Market yesterday. I then walked around and found great deals on Alaskan Christmas presents!
10. I am thankful for God’s guidance over my journey. Every year, every adventure, I learn more and more about myself and how I want to live my life. And while it’s often not easy for me to see, I know that God is working all things for good and has blessed me with so much. So I appreciate all these gifts He’s given me and am thankful for this Alaskan journey in my greater journey of life.

Thank you to my faithful readers- it means so much to me to hear from you about your thoughts on my posts! If you’re in a particularly thankful mood (or maybe you’re not at all- then you should really do this!), leave a comment with a few things you’re thankful for. :)

I am also so thankful for each and every one of my students- even the high school Spanish student who saw me at a restaurant today and took a picture of me to send to her friends, no doubt, when she thought I wasn't looking. ;) Pictured here is the Glacier Valley JAMM Chamber Group I conduct!