January 31st

Today I am grateful for friends who take care of each other.

I was in a late night conversation last night with a small group of friends and was really struck by how much care and concern we have for one another. I sensed a great deal of loyalty and compassion for each other. I haven't always been in friend groups where I've felt as much meaning and I'm grateful for these deeper connections.

January 30th

Today I am grateful for my roommates (past and present).

One of my current roommates is leaving us soon, and as my other roommate and I are beginning the process of finding someone to take her spot, I find myself thankful for our current little trio. And my past roommate experiences, at worst have been annoying, but overall incredibly positive. I've lived with some pretty cool people so I'm trying to be hopeful about the next person who may grace this house.

January 29th

Today I am grateful for coffee dates.

I met up with an old professor and supervisor for coffee this morning. It was lovely to catch up. Our conversation felt less professor to student and more adult to adult which I appreciated and am still finding a bit novel as I'm shedding my student identity. And since we met for coffee instead of lunch I had time to swing by and see two other old bosses who I haven't seen in a while.

January 28th

Today I am grateful for free speech and democracy.

After I listened to the State of the Union address tonight I had some time to do some reflecting. While I believe the United States of America has a lot to improve on and we have not and do not always treat people the way should, I ALSO believe that we have it a heck of a lot better than many other nations in this world. I'm grateful that I was born in a country that is working toward change, that I can write whatever I want on this blog, and that I have a say in what my government does.

January 27th

Today I am grateful for avocado curry.

This year I've been trying to eat out less (mostly to save money), but I recently discovered avocado curry at a restaurant that is dangerously close to work. I didn't pack a lunch and somebody said "Thai food" and I got an instant craving. I gave in, swung by after work, and ate it during my second post-work meeting. Yum! It satisfied a very hungry stomach and a stressed brain.

January 26th

Today I am grateful for ultimate Frisbee.

I've been playing ultimate since 2008 and I've made many, many friends, created many, many memories, found a great community of people, and even got a job through one of my connections. I'm currently playing in winter league and I'm meeting more new people, teaching people to play while continuing to improve myself, and spreading the joy of ultimate. Ultimate has been a significant part of my life for quite some time and I hope it continues to be.

January 25th

Today I am grateful for Smith Rock.

I've been to Smith Rock around five times and each time I've gone I've been with different people. I never get tired of hiking to the top, watching the climbers along the way, and the view of the Cascades. This trip we saw slack liners which was new and exciting.

January 24th

Today I am grateful for home cooked meals.

A group of friends and I drove to Bend after work to spend the weekend. My car stopped at my aunt's house for dinner. My aunt and her family always provide incredible food and make me and my friends feel right at home. It was lovely to have such a delicious meal and with such generous people.

January 23rd

Today I am grateful for Mamma Mia! 

 I saw this musical for the second time and it was fabulous (again). The music, the story, the humor, the singing, the dancing, the costumes...I love it all! I also just enjoy the experience of going with my mom and my sister and making a whole evening out of a Thursday night. I'm also grateful that Eugene has a venue like the Hult Center that brings such wonderful performances.  

January 22nd

Today I am grateful for ladies night.

A group of friends from my graduate program have made it a priority to get together weekly for a ladies night. I really enjoy having this constant group of caring, intelligent, passionate, wise, wonderful ladies who I know will be there for me through thick and thin, offer support and advice, and be there when I need them. Such a lovely group and I'm thankful to be a part of it.

January 21st

Today I am grateful for thank you notes.

I've been writing a few letters of recommendations for one of my past students and today she picked them up from work. Out of her backpack came a wrapped gift with thank you card on top. It was totally unexpected. I really appreciated her thoughtfulness.

January 20th

Today I am grateful for live music performance.

I went to a gospel concert today in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and it was a very fun event. I really enjoy live music because I find it very powerful. This concert didn't disappoint.

January 19th

Today I am grateful for sunshine.

It's been foggy, cold, and very dull in Eugene and I very much enjoyed seeing and feeling this sun this weekend. It was so lovely I took a little cat nap on our front deck and soaked as much up as I could.

January 18th

Today I am grateful for stars.

I can see stars in Eugene, but not nearly as many as I can see in Brookings. I'm not a astronomer, not even an amateur one, but I love star gazing. Going home always reminds me, as I can see probably 100 times more stars from my little town.

January 17th

Today I am grateful for naturally occurring hearts.

I cut a bad spot out of my pear this morning and realized that it didn't feel very ripe so I cut another sliver out to taste it. I discovered I'd accidentally created a heart. I love finding hearts shaped rocks on the beach, in plants, and now in fruit! Just a nice reminder that love really is, all around us. 

January 16th

Today I am grateful for the ability to map things AND wrong turns.

I'm a planner. I'm most comfortable when I know what to expect. Today I mapped a route to run after work. I like to know exactly how far I'm going to run, where the mile markers are so I know how to pace and I can set mini goals during the run, where to turn so I have something to occupy my mind, etc.  The route was a tad complicated so I wrote directions on my hand. I ended up missing a turn somewhere and going off route but made it back to the planned route after a few blocks. I remapped at the end of the run and discovered I ran 0.38 miles farther than planned.

January 15th

Today I am grateful for e-mails from my Mom.

My mom sent me a few cute e-mails telling me about her day and what her plans were. The may seem mundane to some, but I enjoy these little updates and feeling connected to her daily life.

Recently she asked how my African violet is doing (a gift from her). My co-worker helped me re-pot it recently and it's doing great!

P.S. One thing I'm already noticing in writing this daily blog is that I have to choose between things I'm grateful for. So today I'm grateful for e-mails from my mom, but also for the kindness of my co-worker in helping and teaching me about my plant.

January 14th

Today I am grateful for early morning skies.

I leave for work at 7:30 (read: I should leave for work at 7:30, but really it's closer to 7:40) and I'm usually rushing. This morning I was hopping on my bike, putting my gloves, on and patting my pockets doing the phone, wallet, key check when I glanced up and saw a subtle coloring in the sky. I stopped for a few moments to enjoy it's beauty and snapped a picture before returning to the rush of getting to work on time. (Note: This photo doesn't do it justice.)

 

January 13th

Today I am grateful for bartering.

I have a friend who knows stuff about bikes and is willing to do repairs for beer. I saved a bunch of money not having to take it to a shop and not wondering if I got swindled and my friend gets some good beer for his time and effort. Win-win!

January 12th

Today I am grateful for toast and tea.

I slept in late this morning and proceeded to have a leisurely breakfast of tea and toast with homemade jam. I love life's simple pleasures.

January 11th

Today I am grateful for my home.

I woke up early this morning to rain beating on my bedroom window. I'm a very sound sleeper generally, and I was pretty exhausted from my work week (see previous post) so I was shocked that it was loud enough to wake me. I fell back asleep very quickly listening to the rain but before drifting off again, I felt very grateful that I was in my cozy bed and in my home where I'm protected from the elements.

January 10th

Today I am grateful for Fridays.

Work has been really busy this week and while I've enjoyed everything I've been doing, I'm grateful that I get to sleep in and relax this weekend.

January 9th

Today I'm grateful for people passionate for what they do.

I was in a meeting today reviewing some pretty banal material when the conversation shifted to asking questions like, "Why are we doing it this way?" and "What can we do better?" As a relative newbie at work, and to the working world in general, I've been finding myself asking these questions pretty often but running into subtle road blocks. I so appreciated being with a group of people with similar energy and passion for making positive changes.

January 8th

Today I am grateful for health insurance.

I've recently entered the full-time, 8-5, professional, working world and, for the first time as an adult, had my own health insurance. I had a doctor's appointment today as I'm in the process of establishing care and wasn't charged a dime for my physical. It wasn't very long ago for me that I would have had to pay out of pocket so I'm definitely grateful for health insurance.

January 7th

Today I am grateful for fully pumped bike tires.

Yesterday, I got a flat on my way home from work which I was frustrated about because then I was late to my next three engagements. HOWEVER, today I took it the bike shop to get it fixed and as I rode away I had such a sense of satisfaction and adventure riding away on fully pumped tires (even though I was on my way back to work).

January 6th

Today I am grateful for cribbage.

I play cribbage with a group of friends every Monday and it's such a nice excuse to gather every week and spend time with one another (even when I don't win). 

January 5th

Today I am grateful for Ryan Gosling.

Another one of my Christmas gifts this year was a large calendar of Ryan Gosling. Already this year it has brought my friends and I many laughs and lots of joy.

January 4th

Today I am grateful for Wikipedia.

I didn't do anything productive today, but I did watch my first Blazer game. I looked up players while watching and was able to find out how crazy tall they are! I use Wikipedia all the time and am grateful that I have such a vast amount of information at my fingertips.

January 3rd

Today I am grateful for my car.

I purchased my first car in July of 2013 and I appreciate the convenience of being able to drive to Portland to visit friends. I like being on my own schedule and having the flexibility to go somewhere when I want to (especially when it's not practical for me to bike there).

January 2nd

Today I am grateful for my body.

Another goal for 2014 is to run my second half marathon. I officially signed up for the Hop Hop Half in Portland for April 19th. Today I went on my first run of my pre-training (I have to train to train). I started my pre-training with running just one mile. It was a little rough but I know my body is capable and that's pretty cool.

January 1st

Today I am grateful for crock pots.

My parents got me a crock pot for Christmas this year and today I used it for the first time to make a beef stew.