Happy Thanksgiving!
This year has been incredible, filled with a lot of really great ups that I'm excited to celebrate. As per tradition here on my blog, I've created a list of things that I'm grateful for this year.
1. Community of Peace. I got my first job this year and formally started with students in August. Technically, at the time this post is published, I'm in the middle of week 14 with students. Working at this school, out of all the schools I applied for, has been the greatest gift to me. I'm grateful that I work at a school that generously gives first-time teachers a chance to learn and grow in their craft. I'm grateful for an infinitely supportive staff that's more like a great big family. I'm grateful for the kids I work with and how they make me smile every single day and keep me on my toes in a way that no other job has enabled me to do. They show me my strengths and they show me where I need to grow so I can do better by them. I'm not even scratching the surface on how amazing this place is and how wonderful it is to be part of this team.
2. My Husband. We celebrated our first year of marriage this year and soon it'll be nine whole years of being together. I am grateful to have my Jack by my side no matter where we go, grateful to have adventures with him, I'm grateful for his infinite understanding and how he helps me become a better person.
3. The Means to Travel. I'm grateful that while we aren't swimming in oceans of cash, surfing on the waves of extra time, that we're still able to make time to travel and explore and are able to set aside enough to make adventures happen. I'm thankful for that flexibility and that freedom.
4. The Company of Smart People. I'm grateful for experienced individuals I have had the privilege of speaking to and growing with because I've had the opportunity to have conversations about hard-hitting issues with them. When I write this, I'm thinking of the book club I was with briefly, but this happens for me in so many contexts, so I appreciate being in contact with people like this.
5. Experiences That Inspire Me To Grow. Not everything this year has been all sunshine and rainbows. But even the experiences that caused me the most stress, made me cry, and were just plain hard, have helped to make me a better person. They've helped me figure out the ways I need to grow and have made me a stronger person in many ways. As hard as things like substitute teaching were, I wouldn't take those back. So instead of being resentful of the kids that were absolute jerks and the staff people who were unsupportive and every other negative thing, I want to be thankful that they happened. As one door closes, another one opens somewhere. That's what I like to think.
There's still a month and a half left in 2017, but so far, this has been a great year with a lot of growing moments and a lot of times to be grateful for. Thank you for being part of it for me.
--Jude
This year has been incredible, filled with a lot of really great ups that I'm excited to celebrate. As per tradition here on my blog, I've created a list of things that I'm grateful for this year.
1. Community of Peace. I got my first job this year and formally started with students in August. Technically, at the time this post is published, I'm in the middle of week 14 with students. Working at this school, out of all the schools I applied for, has been the greatest gift to me. I'm grateful that I work at a school that generously gives first-time teachers a chance to learn and grow in their craft. I'm grateful for an infinitely supportive staff that's more like a great big family. I'm grateful for the kids I work with and how they make me smile every single day and keep me on my toes in a way that no other job has enabled me to do. They show me my strengths and they show me where I need to grow so I can do better by them. I'm not even scratching the surface on how amazing this place is and how wonderful it is to be part of this team.
2. My Husband. We celebrated our first year of marriage this year and soon it'll be nine whole years of being together. I am grateful to have my Jack by my side no matter where we go, grateful to have adventures with him, I'm grateful for his infinite understanding and how he helps me become a better person.
3. The Means to Travel. I'm grateful that while we aren't swimming in oceans of cash, surfing on the waves of extra time, that we're still able to make time to travel and explore and are able to set aside enough to make adventures happen. I'm thankful for that flexibility and that freedom.
4. The Company of Smart People. I'm grateful for experienced individuals I have had the privilege of speaking to and growing with because I've had the opportunity to have conversations about hard-hitting issues with them. When I write this, I'm thinking of the book club I was with briefly, but this happens for me in so many contexts, so I appreciate being in contact with people like this.
5. Experiences That Inspire Me To Grow. Not everything this year has been all sunshine and rainbows. But even the experiences that caused me the most stress, made me cry, and were just plain hard, have helped to make me a better person. They've helped me figure out the ways I need to grow and have made me a stronger person in many ways. As hard as things like substitute teaching were, I wouldn't take those back. So instead of being resentful of the kids that were absolute jerks and the staff people who were unsupportive and every other negative thing, I want to be thankful that they happened. As one door closes, another one opens somewhere. That's what I like to think.
There's still a month and a half left in 2017, but so far, this has been a great year with a lot of growing moments and a lot of times to be grateful for. Thank you for being part of it for me.
--Jude
