Giving Thanks, 2012

Wow. So in the time that I have taken an (apparent) hiatus, Blogger has completely reconfigured their interface. Good on you, Blogger. Sometimes change is good.

As per usual, I am about a week and change late on this whole giving thanks blog post. But really, since blogging is evidently not my thang anymore, I have been feeling conflicted about putting my thanks out into the universe. Like, maybe I don't deserve for others to hear my thanks. I mean, who am I to think anyone (beyond my mother) even still takes the time to read this bitch? But then I said FUCK IT. I am so incredibly thankful this year, that even if this post get sucked into the great nothingness, is swallowed up by the deepest and darkest of black holes, fades into obscurity, at least I will have proclaimed my thanks in a very public way. And really, isn't that the best way?

I don't even know where to start. So I guess I'll start here.

I know I say this every year, but I am so damn thankful for my mother. She is a rock. She is honest and insightful and thoughtful and shrewdly observant. I am neurotic. I am an overthinker. I am frustratingly ambivalent at times. And because of these awesome character traits, she and I have had an emotionally trying year. But she always manages to say the right thing, even if I'm not ready to hear it. I am so grateful for her presence, her compassion, and her unending support of my ridiculousness. Love you, mom!

I am forever thankful for my Dad and Stepmom, two people I could not possibly respect more.

*Sidenote: Thanks, Universe, for two super awesome and open-minded parents.

I am thankful for my Weekday Mistress, Casey the Human. Even though we both made it back to these United States in one piece, we do live 1500 miles apart. It is difficult to maintain a meaningful connection over time, let alone distance, however Casey is easily the most loyal friend I know. And although we do not get the chance to bitch it out over a bus ride and shitty Taco Bell, I know she, like Shakira, is available whenever, wherever. Plus, she is still willing to watch movies with me, even after this.

I am thankful for the unexpected. When I came home last year, I was so very sad to leave my Seoul Family. In three years I had managed to amass a fantastic circle of friends and although I still maintained contacts here at home, I did not expect to find that same sense of community. In the Land of the Living people have jobs, and families, and obligations that rarely include mid-week beer pong, No-Pants Sunday, and Monday night leg massages. Living in Seoul afforded me endless amounts of frivolity, sometimes masquerading as shared experience. But shared experience is something college students bond over, not grown-ass adults. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a group of fantastic, like-minded individuals with whom I am incredibly content to share my experiences, and sometimes a bit of frivolity.

Two words: Erica Bangerter. This woman has single-handedly pushed me to be better harder faster stronger. I first met Erica at Ladies' Craft Night. I found her passionate and opinionated and maybe a little overwhelming. It wasn't until January, when she forced me to meet her for GRE study time, that I really took a moment to get to know her. Over the course of the first four months of 2012, Erica and I met faithfully every Sunday morning and Wednesday night in preparation for the GRE. In that time I had the pleasure of making a great friend. She is irreverent. She is whip smart, compassionate, and does not suffer the fool. She has a pure heart and cares a great deal for those she loves. I am so incredibly happy to count myself among them.

Two more words: Patrick Lopez. This guy, more than any other person on Earth, just gets me. He is my partner in crime. He is kind, and smart, and funny, but more than that, he is genuine. As social beings, we meet so many different individuals, both on the internets and in real life. Many of these people serve a specific purpose, filling a void or a niche, but their presence is fleeting. Some of them endear themselves to us just long enough to pass the threshold into true and great friendship. But very rarely does someone so completely nestle themselves into our hearts, as to render them totally irreplaceable. Pat has managed to do just that. And I am so excited to see what happens next.

Here's to 2013, the Great Leap Forward. (See? I told you I could work Chairman Mao into any joke.)