Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my dad's favorite holiday because it is a time to spend with the people you love and to reflect on everything in your life you have to be thankful for.  I think it is easy to take for granted things in your life which you are accustomed to, but I don't want that to be me.  I find upon taking a step back, the feeling that my life is charmed.  I certainly have much to be thankful for.
When I first decided to study in Norway the thought of leaving all my friends back home was daunting.  I am fortunate enough to have the most hilarious, kind, trustworthy, wonderful friends that are a constant source of happiness.  I really don't know what I would do without them.  The only way I was even able to leave was because I know that our bonds are so strong that no matter where I am in the world, how long it has been since we have talked (hopefully not very long), I will always have them.  Those are real friends.
Now that I am here, I often am baffled at the idea that if I would have continued my life back in the states, all the amazing people I have met in Norway would go on living their lives and I would have gone on living mine without ever knowing each other.  What a shame that would have been.  I have only been here three months and I feel confident in saying that I am forming friendships that will last.
And of course, I am lucky enough to have the most supportive, generous, self sacrificing, and caring family I could ever ask for.  They taught me what love is and made me who I am today.  My parents often tell me that everything I have achieved thus far has been my own doing, but I beg to differ.  Everything has been made possible by their support and encouragement over the years.  They taught me that happiness is not found in the number of extra zeros in your paycheck but rather in finding passion in life through things/people you love.  It is with this mentality that I try to live my life and thus every adventure I experience and every joy along the way, they are a part of.
I'm sorry for the overly sentimental post, but I think it is important to tell people how much you appreciate them.  I do not think you should need a specific day to do it, but Thanksgiving provides the opportunity and is a good reminder.  So, I am thankful for my friends and family because you are what makes my life a charmed one.