It has been two months since I last posted. Time sure is flying by here. A lot has happened since I posted in September so I thought I would catch you all up with the list of things I'm grateful for this past Thanksgiving.
1. I am grateful for all of the people who are a part of my experience here in Laos. This means Mike and Jess. My life is so much fuller and richer because I have all of you with me. You both challenge me to understand myself in ways I have not tried to before and I am thankful to share this journey with you.
2. I am grateful for my students. The best thing about being a teacher is learning from your own students. Everyday when I come to class, I am greeted with joyful laughter and excited smiles. I've never seen students who respect their teachers so much and do their very best on every assignment. I love teaching because of these students. From them, I have really learned the meaning of hope. In Laos, a good job is hard to secure; Even if you have a college degree, it doesn't mean you'll get a good job. Yet many of my students persevere and don't let fear deter them from their education because they believe that life in Laos will someday be better. Also, these students have taught me to appreciate the simplest things. Even if they don't have much, they don't complain and work hard to get where they want to be. Thank you students for blessing me with these lessons.
3. I especially also want to thank my Lao colleagues for their kindness. I feel that here in Laos, the emphasis is never on who is better than who but getting along. There is usually tension in a lot of American offices because the focus at work is productivety and reward and I think that sometimes this fosters an environment where colleagues are encouraged to compete and be rivals. Here in Laos, colleagues mind their own business, give each other the benefit of the doubt, and always understand that it's never personal at work. I love this because I see how this attitude creates an open and friendly atmosphere where everyone can be themselves. When I was working in the US, I always felt like if I said I'd do something by 3pm and I didn't, I'd be judged the next day at the morning meeting. Here, I don't feel like I'm being judged at all. I appreciate that I can have genuine relationships with my Lao colleagues.
4. Lastly, I am thankful for our cat Maasman. She is quite a handful even though she is only a couple months old. I've never had a pet before and never thought I would get one but now I'm turning into a cat lady. I love this little pumpkin so much. She completes my life here and fills my life with so much joy and surprise.