America provides so many luxuries that are so easily accessible and we take them for granted without even thinking about it. I know that I took so many things for granted, like A/C, my car, having WiFi all the time, and easy access to any food you can think of. I never knew that I would miss all the clothes in my closet, but i guess when you’ve worn the same 3 things for the past 4 months then you start to think about how good you had it in the states. I miss being able to just hang out with friends and spontaneously go out for the day and not have to worry about having a buddy and whether its super safe or not. The Race has really opened my eyes to exactly how much we take the things we call necessities for granted. Think about everything you do in the day. When you woke up, what if you didn’t have power? What if you didn’t have running water? What if the coffee shop you love didn’t exist? What if all the grocery stores you go to were 5 times smaller and didn’t have a lot of the food you love? What if you had to walk or bike everywhere? Would you take all the things in your life for granted? I know that when I was home, I didn’t give it a seconds thought when I hopped in my car and drove to Panera on a full tank of gas. I never realized how much I have to be thankful for. I realized that even the little things that used to annoy me, I’m now thankful for. For example, when it was 90 degrees in Cambodia, I was wishing for the winter that I’m used to, but at home I wish for the summer to replace winter. With all these things being said, I don’t think you need to go to a third world country to be appreciative for what you have. The only things you need in life are food, clothing, shelter, and water. Make a list in your head of everything in your life that isn’t those four things. I’ll give you a minute to think……………… OK back to the blog, it was a long list, right? I bet you surprised yourself with the number of things you came up with in such a short amount of time. As you go through this week, try to be conscious of all the things that arent necessities in life but are blessings. I think you’ll find that you are much more grateful after that week. I know I sure was. For 4 months I’ve been living off minimal clothing, a fairly small budget for money, and almost none of the comforts of home and I am so much for thankful for the times that I get to experience the comforts of home. I hope you have an awesome and grateful week!
