Thanksgiving in Rome

Here's a little Rome sneak peek :)

This Thanksgiving I am experiencing it like never before. Instead of getting to spend time with my family I am with three other friends in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy. I may not be with my family, and I may not be able to eat turkey, but I still had one of the best Thanksgivings EVER. I saw the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. It was a crazy, busy day, but I LOVED every minute of it. We enjoyed a wonderful Italian dinner, which was not exactly the best Thanksgiving meal ever, but it did the job :) However despite not being in a country that celebrates Thanksgiving, I still wanted to share with all of you some things that I am beyond thankful for.

1. I am thankful to have a supportive family who has so graciously allowed me to spend a semester abroad in Switzerland. This experience has been so amazing, and I literally do not even have enough words to truly do this semester justice. I have been pushed and challenged in so many different ways, and it has definitely been a learning experience for me. I have really enjoyed my time in Europe, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

2. I am thankful that I have a place to call home. Even though I love Europe, America will always be my home, and I think that I would like to keep it that way, God willing. I know that there are plenty of people who do not have a place to go back to, and I am glad that I have roots in a place where even though I may not want to live there I can at least enjoy going back to visit.

3. I am extremely thankful that my brother no longer has cancer, and that he has been cancer free for a year now. I really look up to Cody, and even though I believed that he would survive just fine, I was still anxious, and I am so happy that he is well on his way back to a clean bill of health. He is a wonderful father, and the BEST brother a girl could ask for. In fact I have really been blessed by all my siblings because they are great, and I am thankful for all of them!

 

              

4. I am thankful for the way that I was raised. Yes, you read that right mom and dad. There have been so many times since being in college where I have been so surprised by people’s attitudes, and I am glad that I had parents who taught me to be thankful and appreciative of everything I have. And I am also thankful that you taught me into being a responsible and respectable young woman most of the time J

5. Most of all though, I am thankful that I live in a country where I have the right to openly express my faith. And I am so thankful that I was raised in a Christian household. God is the foundation upon which I choose to live my life, and without Him I would be nothing. So, I am forever grateful that God chose to send His son to Earth to be sacrificed as atonement for the world’s sin. My only hope is that I can live life to the fullest following the footsteps that my God lies before me. I am so undeserving of His love, but I am beyond thankful that He chooses to love me anyways. 

Those are just a few off the top of my head, and I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving! Til Next Time.