tonight i am grateful

 

I sit here on a warm Wednesday evening in the beginning of summer. Outside of the sliding glass window that takes up an entire wall of my bedroom, the sun is starting to lower itself behind the mountains, leaving a warm glow over everything as far as the naked eye can see, and tonight, I am grateful.

I'm grateful for the people I've met in my life, and everything that those friendships have led to. I'm grateful for the friends that let me cry on their shoulders, for the hugs, the talks, the love I feel from them. These are the people who have made every day something new and exciting, every obstacle bearable. These are the people I drive around with for hours on end when we have no place to go and no place to be. They're the ones who bring me Starbucks when I'm sad or text me out of the blue saying the nicest things. They're what I think of when I think of home, and I am grateful for them.

I'm grateful for all of the places I've been and all of the things I have done. I'm grateful for the courage to travel on my own, and all of the adventures that it has resulted in. For dancing the night away in the beer tents at Oktoberfest or walking around Vienna's city center in the middle of the night. I'm grateful I'm able to do the things that so many people can only ever dream of, and I'm grateful for all of the things I've yet to do. 

I'm grateful for emotions, as much as they can suck sometimes. I'm grateful for them, because they mean I'm alive. I'm grateful for the ability to heal all those times I thought I was broken beyond repair, and I'm grateful for the moments when everything aligns perfectly and I realize how fortunate I really am. I'm grateful for the times I've had my heart broken, and for still being able to love despite them. Yes, I'm grateful for emotions, even the ones that hurt. 

I'm grateful for music, and the things it makes me feel. For the connection I have between certain songs and certain moments, and how I can always count on them to bring me back to a certain time and place. 

I'm grateful for the mountains and the ocean, for having such easy access to both, just minutes from my home. I'm grateful for the comfort I find in them, and for how I can always count on them to make me feel small in a world so big and full of wonder.

I'm grateful for so much more, too, but tonight, this is what I'm grateful for.