Thanksgiving

Is Thanksgiving really this week already? I keep forgetting. During this time of year, living in Thailand is sort of like living in a time capsule, at least for those of us who grew up in a distinct four-seasons-a-year environment.  Here, the weather doesn't change enough to make it 'feel' like Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year's.

But, alas, the days move on, we move ever forward in the calendar, and whether I feel like it or not, Thanksgiving is just a few more days away. In honor of the occasion, I thought I'd put up a few more pictures to remind myself what I am blessed with.

1. I am thankful for vacation. Yes, this is number one. During the second week of our break in October, we traveled with a few other families from our school and visited Dolphin Bay, in Pranburi, which is a little south of Hua Hin. Maybe none of that means anything to you, but you can always Google it if you want to see the map. :) We were only gone for 4 days or so, but it was so relaxing, and was exactly what we needed to reboot our minds before starting back into the second semester of school. Here are some pictures from our trip:



2. I am thankful for family - and this includes these people:

and these people:

and many other extended relatives, of whom I don't have many recent pictures, as well as our fellow teachers and staff members at GES, who have become our Thailand family and support system. Love you all! I would not be who I am without these people's influences in my life, and I am so grateful for the encouragement that each of them has given me throughout the different stages of my life.

3. I am thankful to have a job that I love. It is both immensely challenging and rewarding, and I am ever blessed to be a part of the lives of the teenagers that I teach. Let me give you a few images of what this looks like:

 One of the 12th grade boys on a field trip to a buffalo farm earlier this school year

 11th grade class after their final acting scene from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

 10th grade students - in some spare English time on Friday, I occasionally let them play "Bananagrams" - which they LOVE (and it makes my English teacher's heart very happy!)

 12th graders being themselves :)

Some of the 12th grade girls and me on Crazy Hair Day at school - two of us did our hair alike on accident, then we convinced the others to do the same. It was awesome!

Anyway, there is much to be thankful for (much more than this) - but these are probably my top three right now! As you enjoy Thanksgiving this week, consider what things have been a blessing in your life and give thanks for them.

Blessings and love from Thailand.