Things I'm Thankful For

I had a nursing professor say during a lecture that a good way to fight off depression is to write down 3 things you're grateful for every day.  I liked that idea, and for a solid three years, I faithfully wrote down 3 or more things I was thankful for on a daily basis.  I eventually fell out of the habit, but about a week ago, I found my notebook with all of those things listed.  I had the best time remembering the people, things, and days that had made me a happier person.  And since I had been trying to figure out a creative way to document my travels, I thought this couldn't be a more perfect way to begin. 


The first page of the notebook was a longer list of things, and I figure this post will be about as long.  It's been about a year since I last did this, and thinking over the past year, here's what I've come up with so far.
I'm thankful...
1.  To have fallen madly in love with a man that I wanted to spend every second of my life with. 
2.  To have the unconditional love of countless friends and family to bring me back to life (slowly, but surely) when that love fell apart.
3.  For the chance to work with and love patients and families who continually bless and enrich my life by witnessing unimaginable strength, unconditional love, and unwavering commitments to one another as they go through the darkest days of their lives.
4.  To have a job, even when I come home hating it as much as I love it most days. 
5.  To have the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling to Africa, and trying to learn ways to fix the lost causes of the world.
6.  To have two sisters, that I love more than anyone to be my lifelong best friends.
7.  For both of those sisters to have married men that I thoroughly enjoy having as brothers in every sense of the word, especially because they annoy me, but also because they make me laugh, worry about me, and best of all, they take pretty good care of their women.
8.  To have two parents who love me more than anything, and constantly let me know it.  My dad spoils me rotten, buys me meals all the time, and drives me crazy with his stubborn refusal to exercise, and my mom takes me shopping, cooks me garlic bread until I can't fit into my clothes, and lets me cry in her lap whenever I need it.  Love them!
9.  To have a car that runs, gets decent gas mileage, and that has an Ipod connection so I can sing all of my horrible music at the top of my lungs as I drive to Athens for a lot of hours a week.
10.  To own all of Sex and the City on DVD to cheer me up whenever I don't want to participate in life.
11.  To have awesome clothes, even though I don't usually have the opportunity to wear them (as I sit at the student center at UGA incredibly overdressed, but looking especially fantastic).
12.  To have not yet killed my beautiful plants (pictures to come of all their glory).

 I'll stop there, but I'm hoping that this list will help me talk about what I see and learn in Uganda, and also what I miss and love here at home.  I also hope it will be a little less serious as I go.  Oh, and lucky number 13...

13.  To have the love and concern of a ton of people as I start this journey.  I can't wait!  Please continue to pray for and think of me as I start all of this madness!