Today is thanksgiving in America.
This is not a holiday I have ever celebrated, however being so close to the United States this year, and having so many more friends, colleagues, and a partner who are American brings thanksgiving closer to my heart & awareness.
Tomorrow morning I leave, bound for Montreal on the Eastern side of Canada. So while many people I care about are spending time with their families and eating pumpkin pie, today for me is spent working, packing, and getting organized for a 4am taxi to the airport.
But, not celebrating thanksgiving doesn’t make me any less thankful.
I am thankful to the city of Victoria, BC for having me as a guest, and for being my home for much of 2019. I’ve ducked in and out, experiencing life in the city, the neighborhoods, and the forests of this magnificent island.
I am thankful for my job, for keeping me on my toes, treating me so well, and always providing me with new opportunities to learn, grow, and develop in a company I truly care about and believe in.
I am thankful for love and kindness. For having an amazing partner in life that I get to be reunited with after a month apart tomorrow, for someone I love dearly to explore life, travel, and the world with.
I am thankful for having such a vast network of kind, caring, and support friends and family who span the globe and are always there for me.
In fact, I have so many things I am thankful for that this list could run on for the rest of the week – and just for having so many things to feel grateful for I am thankful. Earlier this year I started a #100daysofgratitude practice, and I thought for thanksgiving I would share a huge whirlwind of abundant gratitude in the form some of the (many many) other wonderful things I have been thankful for over the course of this year:
ย โจCold showers after Bikram โจ Dancing alone to terrible (and good, and somewhere in between!) music โจ All the delicious kombucha, every day โจ blossoming roses on summer evenings โจ That post-yoga open-hearted blissful feeling โจ Wonderful friends reaching out from all across the world โจ Living a life that makes me excited about it every day ย โจ Remote working life โจMelbourne coffeesโจ sushi round every corner โจ awesome workmates โจ trains that run on time โจ writing every day & the joy that brings โจ ย Travel sized everything โจ the satisfaction of good suitcase packing โจ lemon tea โจ thirty degree days โจ sunflowers ๐ป โจ hearing from old friends โจ early nights in bed โจrealising how many inspirational, world changing people I know, and how many more I am yet to meet โจ reading beautiful writing โจ feeling inspired & motivated from thinking about how we can change the world, what I can contribute, and how to find my community again โจ flat whites (oh how I miss you when Iโm gone from Aus/NZ!) โจ clean & empty apartments โจ living the minimalist lifestyle and clearing all the junk โจ journaling every day โจ aloe vera on sunburnt shoulders โจfeeling loved & appreciated each day by different people (and by myself! Self love ๐) โจ the exhilaration of booking Mexican jungle cabins โจ making the most exciting plans for the year ahead โจ devouring all the books with every spare moment โจ how amazing technology is and how I can travel with 100s of amazing books without weighing down my bag (I โฅ๏ธ you my Kindle) โจ when things you buy online actually meet & exceed your expectationsโจ daydreams of hammocks and tacos โจ moving out of plans that no longer fit and feeling the excitement of transitioning into new adventures โจ the kindness & help of my wonderful brother in moving out of my apartment this morning โจ long Sunday brunches in the summers sunshine โ๏ธโจ all the feels (and Mexican anticipation) from watching Coco for the millionth time โจ lovely messages from dear friends โจย ย Almond croissants ๐ฅ โจ Puppy snuggles โจ Australian summers โจ Spending time with family โจ Having a story to tell & working on my book โจ Wonderfully talented tattoo artists โจ Blossoms & pondering hanami โจ Yoga, yoga, yoga.. โจ Long train rides with a good book โจ Smiles from strangers โจ Daydreams of handstands in the grass ย โจScorching hot weather โจ The smell of tomato vines โจvideo calling for bridging far-too-wide oceans & long talks with people I adore โจ devouring bucketloads of blueberries โจworking from home & how awesome the company is โจthe magical powers of chocolate โจ contemplating trees, flowers, and how intricate and amazing the botanical world around us is ย โจhaving such a wonderful and supportive family โจ gorgeous tattoos by amazing artists โจ feeling inspired by my writing process โจ stockpiling awesome books โจ iced coffee banana milkshakes โจ fresh summer berries โจ honest and vulnerable chats โจ pursuing the things that matter to me in this world โจ catnaps & the sound of purring while I work โจ peanut butter cup ice cream โจ feeling excited by the work Iโm doing โจ the satisfaction of coding after too much hiatus โจeating vegetables โจ taking time to rest & getting my right hours in โจ feeling grateful every day and all the good that brings to my life โจ inspiring TED talks and podcasts โจ reading about people making a difference and being the change in the world โจ flower gardens โจ having a suddenly less hectic schedule with more time to relax and refocus before taking off โจ an unwavering sense of adventure โจlazy weekends relaxing โจ fresh blueberries โจwalking in the sunshine โจ realising how much world there is left to explore โจ feeling love, and feeling loved โจ the smell of gum trees โจ sleeping in late โจ Sunday mornings spent working from bed โจcountdowns till new adventures โจ the support and encouragement of amazing people โจ for fun times hanging with family & friends โจ the endless and diverse selection of awesome podcasts to be discovered โจ feelings of achievement & the challenge of learning new skills โจ the feeling of anticipation to return to yoga in a couple of weeks time & the realisation of how transformative and valuable it is in my life โจ for all the important conversations with interesting people โจ the explorers, adventurers & brave friends I love who are out changing the world every day โจ reading Mary Oliver, Chrissy Anne Martine, Anaรฏs Nin, Rumi, and all the writers & poets who encourage us to live our wildness and create the world we want to exist in โจ the hidden powers of incredible storytelling โจ taking selfies in bed โจ green salads & fresh fruits every day โจ focusing on gratitude, love & abundance as the first part of every morning โจcomplimenting everyone on the things that make them great โจ hot weather and living my days in sundresses โจ summer bbqs & cold wines with fun people โจ the smell of hot eucalyptus leaves in the summer sun (how Australian is that?) โจ the music and musicians who bring a soundtrack to each day I live โจ sushi overloaded with wasabi โจ learning about the hidden life of trees (Peter wohlleben, look it up!) โจ blue skies โจ full moons โจ dream journaling โจ listening to birds โจ knowing Iโm heading In the perfect direction to continue and create my ideal life around me โจ the confidence of knowing what I want โจ
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