Today is Thanksgiving (in the USA shall I specify before the Canadians jump to my throat). Not that I have suddenly become religious or anything, chill. But well, it’s a good occasion to say what you are thankful for, I guess. I will try to avoid cheesy or soppy, promise.
After the last 10 months, I could be thankful for a billion of things I suppose. But what I am really thankful for is for the people around me.
I am thankful for my parents, who taught me that sky is the limit and who love me, no matter what.
I am thankful for my caring and wonderful and supportive brothers, and their lovely wives, and my utterly lovely and adorable and beautiful nephew (the cutest baby in the world, without a doubt). I miss you guys a lot.
I am thankful for my favorite uncle and aunt and the rest of my family (well, to one noticeable exception, hello grandmother).
I am thankful for my friends, all of them. For those of you who offered me a place to crash without second thoughts when I needed it. For those who send me loving emails from the other side of the world. For those who are crap at staying in touch but make me feel like I left yesterday when I visit. For those who believe in me, who have been supportive, who share my happiness since I moved out.
I am thankful for those special few ones that pick my brain, that know me better than I know myself and that will be on my side until the end of times. You know who you are and I love you.
I am thankful for those who travel hours and come to visit and see for themselves what my new home is like.
I am thankful for those who helped me when I got in Indonesia, gave me tips, helped me get through the settling down and the everyday life and the bloody kidney stones. I am thankful for getting the chance to know someone who disappeared too early recently. I miss you and your rude jokes, every single day, and I will be forever thankful for what you taught me.
I am thankful for those colleagues who became friends, for those managers who became mentors, for those idiots I met through work that helped me with anger management and patience, without knowing it.
I am thankful for all those dive guides and instructors much more experienced than me, that help me learn on a daily basis how to be better at this, that inspire me to want to be better at this, every single day.
It’s been ten months since I landed in Indonesia, but it might as well been ten years for all the things I have experienced and learned.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! (not that we are going to get turkey here, damn!)