"To witness miracles unfold in your experience, count your blessings and be thankful. Perceived small blessings accumulate to be the most powerful."
T. F. Hodge
1. You are never to old to learn something new-- I will be a very proud 35 year old in two months, and I have been very challenged emotionally, spiritually, and mentally throughout this first year. From learning to work with others and taking a back seat (so not my character), to learning to navigate within a different language and culture, I am constantly learning. I thank God for that.
2. The power of the nap- I am now a creature of habit. Everyday I take a nap. 30-45 minutes of solitude and rest feels soo good on a regular basis.
3. Homesickness happens in phases- After the honeymoon period, homesickness appeared in phases for me; its never a one shot deal. Homesickness may not have to do with family either. Sometimes it was desiring to shop at a Cato or Lane Bryant; sometimes it comes on when something happens and the only people who understand are the people at home. Sometimes its just the weather. I missed seasons this year. The changing of the leaves, the snow on the ground. The cold rains in April....
4. But technology brings everyone closer- The world indeed has gotten smaller. Technology makes it that way. You don't miss nearly as much as you think you do. You just find ways to substitute or get what you need. I do love that fact that I can start my day while calling my family close to their bedtimes; or using facetime to chat with friends.
5. The friends you start with, may not be the friends you end the year with- Fast food relationships happen in Kuwait; then you see the true nature of people and realize that sometimes people are in your lives for a season and for a reason. But I'm lucky to see some of my friendships evolve into genuine relationships, while others I have been blessed to leave those behind.
6. It's never to late to try something new- This year I played rugby. And although I might have been the slowest and the biggest, I loved every minute of it. If not for the sport, but for the sisterhood that I feel that I am a part of now. This new sport, meeting new people, made my life in Kuwait a little bit better.
7. The world is indeed a beautiful place- I have been blessed to see so many great places this year: looking out the window on my initial flight over and seeing the sky change in an instant from dark to light; the tropical rains on the island of Zanzibar; street food and traffic in India; sunrise walking in Doha; the top of the world in Dubai; walking to school everyday. But those places can't compare to the people I've met along this path. The world is beautiful not just because of the places and things, but truly because of her people.
I feel soo blessed to have listened and followed my heart and spirit to a new journey in my life. I'm so thankful for all the help from friends and family in the states, to friends that I consider family here in Kuwait. I know that next year will present even more challenges as relationships evolve and my travels take me to other places. As I reflect on my school year, I am just so grateful for every minute of every opportunity.
