Giving Thanks

There are so many things that I am thankful for in this world that my heart swells with emotion.

I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given throughout my life. One of these opportunities has been studying in England for the past almost four months. I have taken no second of these last months for granted because I know I am so lucky.

I have put myself out there and made friendships I never thought were possible to build in such a short time.

I have learned so much in school about what knowledge is and the importance of looking at and learning things from many different angles.

I have learned about time, how it is fleeting, and how it is one of the most precious things in life.

I found out so much about myself like how the opinions of those close to me are so important.

I have learned through events others have experienced and I have used these to become more sympathetic and informed.

I have looked at the lives of others and become more grateful for what I have and what I have been given.

I have learned about and seen passion – in teaching, in living, in experiencing, in living every day to the fullest – and have been influenced and inspired by this.

I have solidified myself as a citizen of the United Kingdom and embraced the culture and my surroundings.

Through this experience I have realized the things that matter to me the most in my life, which include family, friends, love, goals, and knowledge.

I know now more than ever how important continued learning through life is and that it doesn’t just stop when you get home from school or when you graduate college.

Coming to school here has given me a chance to reflect on what I know and have learned in life so far. It has also shown me more than I could have imagined about my future.

This experience has made me want to work hard to succeed and be prosperous in life. But in succeeding I also want to find happiness in myself and with others.

Being here has taught me lessons I didn’t know I needed to be taught, like about communication and having patience.

Living with people who speak English as a second language has given me vital speaking and listening skills that I know will be valuable in my future.

I’ve also discovered how much I am turning into my mother (did I really just spend my free Saturday evening organizing my desk and closet?) and this is not a bad thing. OK so organizing is not usually a 16 year old girl’s idea of a successful night, but I am enjoying being a more mature teenager.

All of these new discoveries about myself and the life that I’m living excite me. They make me look to the future not with fear but with an anxious excitement to continue to work hard in my life. But I’m not rushing things because I am still enjoying my youth.