It's been another good year in Korea, and once again I have a great deal to be thankful for this holiday season. While I did have to work yesterday, I'll be enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my coworkers tomorrow night, and next Saturday I'll get to start celebrating Christmas with many of my Korean friends. I'm thankful that, for the most part, I work with a lot of great people: my fellow foreign teachers, the Korean staff, and a lot of great students. I'm thankful that I feel like I might have a reason to stay here for another year because I like the people and area so much. I have a great apartment (probably the nicest I'll ever have), a five-minute commute, and I live in a nice suburban area with easy access to Seoul and all its metropolitan delights. I'm also thankful that I've had a fairly easy semester, especially since I'm expecting the next semester to be a tough one, maybe the toughest one yet. I'm still enjoying living overseas in Korea, and I'm still enjoying my chosen profession, which is something not everyone can say.
Even though I won't be able to go home for Christmas this year, I'm immensely thankful that I was able to spend some time with my mom and dad recently. It wasn't long enough (it never is), but I had a great time showing them around Korea and giving them an idea of why I feel at home here. (Maybe of one these days I'll actually finish writing about that trip!) I have a wonderful family, and I've always been incredibly lucky to have them. I'm also grateful that I have a lot of great friends and a more-or-less drama-free life.
I'm thankful for all the things that are so easy to take for granted: a phone, internet, electricity, running hot and cold water, quality food, (relatively) good health, peace, and so much more. I'm aware of many (though certainly not all) of the advantages I have as a straight, white, male American, and I'm glad that I live in an era where so many people are fighting for greater equality and I can participate in my own small way. Finally - though I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now - I'm thankful that I'm aware of how lucky I am. It's so easy to get bogged down in the regrets of the past, the problems of the moment and the worries about the future, and forget how fortunate we are to be alive in this flawed but miraculous world. Have a very happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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