Today I’m Thankful For

This post should have been posted on Monday, Thanksgiving for those back at home, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I’m posting it now. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here we go!

Today, I am thankful for…

- The amazing friends that I have at home who are making every effort to keep me connected to home, arranging Skype chats and keeping me sane.

- The fantastic network of people that I have met here without whom I really would have lost it. Being able to find a strong network of friends where I can be 100% myself has been such a blessing. And I know, if anything were to happen to me, they would have my back in a heart beat.

- The job that I currently hold. The past four months of working at SELTI has been the most fun I’ve ever had at work. Yes, there have been many trying moments, but at the end of the day, I enjoy what I do and I do it well. There still are days when I don’t really want to do anything, but once I get started, I can move past it. I love being able to decide for myself what is important and what needs to be done ASAP. I love the ability to make decisions and to impart changes that affect how things are done. I feel like I’m actually making a difference.

- The technology that enables me to keep in touch with friends and family at home. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have Twitter, Facebook, Skype, and Whatsapp to keep in touch with those at home. At a drop of a hat, I can send a note off home to share my current thoughts and moods. I can schedule impromptu Skype chats with friends to catch up on life. Without these little things, I don’t think I would be as well adjusted as I am here. This online network that I’ve built keeps me grounded and not overwhelmed when dealing with the challenges of living abroad.

- And the most important: my parents without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t be here in Budapest if they didn’t support me. When I told them of my plan to go work abroad, certainly they were concerns, but ultimately they let me go and that has made all the difference. I will be forever indebt to them for raising me in an environment that allows me to explore the world and expose myself to new things.

All in all, I’m really loving where I am today and what I’ve created for myself. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop pushing my limits and it definitely doesn’t mean that I’m going to settle.

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