Giving Thanks

I'm sprawled out on bed here in Jacksonville, NC, embracing the last few hours of my Thanksgiving break. In just a few, I'll be in the car - for six long hours - headed back to the mountains. I haven't updated this blog in such a long time and so I thought what better time to update my blog than on Thanksgiving break, reminisce on the past year, and express my thanks.

(So much has happened in the last past year, I barely know where to start. And honestly, I have something against cliché stuff so this is not gonna be a typical "I'm thankful for so and so (aka: friends, family, God)" sort of post, but I'm all for creativity. Let's see how this flies.)

♥ I'm thankful for the different aspects of my intellectual being. Thank God for the mental side of me that allows me to think critically, to solve problems, and to make smart comments like "Oh I knew that." My mental aspect also allows me to evaluate people's characters. I'm grateful I have an emotional side of me which balances perfectly when my brain gets the better of me. It reveals the other side of me - the less perfect, the more vulnerable side of Hazel. It probes me to give others a second chance to prove themselves. Then there's the spiritual side of things. There's the conscience which nudges me along the right path. There's the love and peace that controls me when I get too emotionally or mentally strained. And finally, the physical side (that needs working on) which allows me to move, to go about my healthy life, and that allows me to relax in the oddest positions.

♥ I'm thankful for the different changes in life that have caused me to grow so much in every aspect: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. They say change is the only constant in life. I've learned to accept it, embrace it, and go along for the ride. Whether it be moving to a different location or learning to relate to different people, whatever it is, I've become a better person because of these changes. I've become more independent. I've gained more self-confident. I've learned to relate to all different sorts of people. I've been embracing every challenge along the way.

♥ I'm thankful for dreams, loves, and passions. They keep you going. They keep you motivated. They inspire you to move on. They give you a break sometimes when other things in life drain you. They come in the form of ambitions, hobbies, people, anything really. Mine, for example, are stuff like a love for design, family and friends, little children, soccer. When projects overwhelm me, I am overtaken by my love for design and actually doing this stuff. When I'm having an emotionally rough time, family and friends are there to listen. When I'm tired of "adult" drama, I can enter the world of a little child where I can play, color, be carefree. When I just want a break, what's better than 90 minutes of watching some darn good soccer?!

♥ I'm thankful for open arms. With my real blood-related family miles away, I'm so grateful for the open arms of other families to make me feel welcomed. Thanks to my host family: Steve, Cathy, Mark, and Kelsey. Thanks to the LeBlancs: Michael, Jennifer, and the children. Thanks to the Tanners: Kyle, Cait, Lukas, and Malcolm. And thanks to the Perreaults: Mr. and Mrs. P, JP, and Ian. And for Aunty Kate, Aunty Sue, and Uncle George.

♥ I'm thankful that there's more to life than just this. Life's a journey and I've barely started. I've had quite a few chapters but that doesn't mean it ends there. I'm excited to see where life is taking me, I'm buckled in, and I'm geared up for an amazing ride with God by my side. (Okay, so for someone who doesn't like clichés, this is pretty bad.) But truly, it doesn't end here. This better not be your last visit to this website. :) Love you guyss.