Contentment

Do you ever feel like a lucky person? I don't think about it (luck) that often because who knows when the tides will change, but tonight I felt especially happy. My husband and I were sitting on the couch with only the lights of our little Christmas tree to illuminate the room. There was nothing distracting us; we were simply listening to Christmas music. I warned him that there was a good possibility that I might cry on Christmas morning. Not necessarily tears of sadness, but tears nonetheless. I can feel them coming on. I just get overwhelmed sometimes that I have had the opportunity to make the choices that I have made. I know that is an awkward sentence, but I can't really express it in any other way. I am so thankful for having the change to even choose to live my life the way I am. Sometimes it feels like a dream--even when some aspects of that dream go terribly wrong--I still feel so lucky to be where I am, doing what I am doing. So many things could have happened that would have made it so that living abroad wasn't even an option, but they didn't occur. And here I am. With my best friend. Making new friends. Learning a new language. Experiencing a new culture. Eating amazing food. Seeing amazing sights. Teaching some amazing kids. Some people just get lucky in life.

I hope I can share that with others.

I do wish I could wake up on Christmas morning and sit with my family in front of our Christmas tree, though. If things work out, maybe next year I will be able to come home for the holidays. That might be too lucky . . .