I Am Blissfully Grateful

I am grateful for my apartment, which I will have lived in for one year exactly as of tomorrow. It’s close to work, with lots of sunshine coming through the south facing windows, which in turn look out to downtown, directly south to the CN Tower. It includes laundry and underground parking, the latter of which is something I am very grateful for especially on extreme hot or cold days – I haven’t had to scrape a window all year. The people in the building are nice and friendly; my landlord and his wife are extremely thoughtful and kind. I am grateful that they have created an environment where I can let them know when there are things to be fixed or upgraded.

I am grateful for my job. Not because it is what I want to be doing, or the kind of environment in which I thrive – in fact it has been one of the more difficult jobs I’ve had in my professional career – but because it pays well and allows me to see my S.O. on a regular basis, to afford that, and to save. I am grateful that it is close to home, and I’m grateful for two co-workers in particular who make the days friendly and bearable. I am very grateful for the baristas at Sorry Coffee Co., my favourite coffee spot. Because they know my name and chat with me, and all know my favourite espresso blend and order. For our conversations about travel and careers – they are quite a bit younger than me, and have so much ahead of them! They really make my day, especially when I’m not often happy to go to work, they are there to make sure the day starts off in a good place. I am grateful that my workplace is close to my gym so I can go each day during my lunch. I am grateful for Rodrigo who is the most friendly and helpful. I am grateful for Ricardo, who takes care of our work building. I have come to know him over these past months, and he is always friendly and kind.

I am grateful for all the experiences I have had in my new city: more restaurants than I can count; drinks out at fabulous cocktail bars and interesting lounges; Dave Chappelle at the Danforth Hall; exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario with friends; walks in the ravines, or along the Scarborough Bluffs, or on the Leslie Spit with a new friend; Caribana Festival; wandering through neighbourhoods with my brother; exploring neighbourhoods with others or on my own; dinners with friends, those long-time friends who have been with me and held me up this past year, and the new ones that bring me to new places in this city and are also trying new adventures with me; for my cousin and his wife because I love hanging out with them, separately or together, and for always making me feel at home and loved.

I am grateful for my trips to Washington, D.C. I am grateful to  be able to travel here so frequently. I am so very fond of this city and am always happy to return. I am grateful for those places that are familiar now, for the all the art and museums (free!), and the views of the monuments. I am grateful for the (mostly) friendly nature of D.C. locals. I am grateful to be welcomed into the city my S.O.’s friends, who are always happy to see me. And grateful for how my S.O.’s family have welcomed me into the fold and are also excited to see me, who give me love and always want to spend time with me; I’m grateful for their support of the long-distance situation and goals of my SO and I.

I am grateful in turn for my family who have supported me even when it’s so hard to be far away from each other. I am grateful for my trips home, for the quiet and the mountains. For their advice, encouragement and support. I am grateful for my friends who have put in the effort to stay in touch, and especially those who make the time to meet with me for ‘Drinks with friends on Skype’. Those moments inspire and energize me, and have pulled me through some tough times.

There have been ups and downs this year, and I am sure many can say the same, and there are always those ebbs and flows. Even still, I have so much to be grateful for, and I am grateful for this topic to turn my mind to the positive instead of thinking of what wasn’t in the year past. I am grateful for all that I have. I am grateful for this community of women.

Happy New Year ladies!