Looking Back on Twenty Twelve

The other day while driving to work with my favourite Cowtown country music station turned up, the Christmas songs ended and the announcers came on and started talking about something that made my ears perk up. They were talking about being thankful. While it seems like every time we turn on the news, we are inundated with tragedies taking place all over the world including in our own communities, most of us don’t have to look very far to find something to be thankful for. This got me thinking about all I have to be thankful for this holiday season. And as 2012 draws to a close and we enter 2013, I thought it was an appropriate time to reflect on these things.

Looking back I can’t believe how far I’ve come not just this year but over the past 30 years. Yes, it was this year that I turned the big 30! So here’s my thankful list (in no particular order):

1) Birthdays: As I mentioned, I had a milestone birthday this year. And as much as I complained and joked about turning 30, I am very thankful that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience 30 birthdays, and hopefully many more to come.

2) Community: It was a year ago that I loaded up my Honda Civic and headed west to embark on a new chapter in my life. Things didn’t exactly go as planned at first and difficult decisions had to be made, but everything turned out for the best. I believe God has a plan for each of our lives and he knew exactly what he was doing with me.

3) Career: I’ve had the privilege of working in the industry I love, agriculture, for several years now. Doors opened for me and I was drawn to a company that values its employees, contributes to our industry and is helping farmers feed a growing world.

4) Parents: After deciding to stay in Cowtown, my loving parents once again packed up all my worldly possessions and drove them across the Prairies. And this is not the first time, or the second time, or even the third time, they’ve done this for me. I’ve done more than my share of moving and each time they were there to help. I look forward to the day when I will settle down in one place (and I’m sure they do too).

5) Friends: Moving to a new community can be difficult. You have to be willing to get out and meet people instead of holing yourself up in your house. I’m thankful for all the new friends I’ve met this year whether it be through work, church, volunteer committees, social activities etc. These people have gone out of their way to befriend me and I appreciate that.

6) Volunteering: Ever since I spent a year of volunteering in Indiana, I have a special place in my heart for it. There’s really nothing better than doing something for others and not expecting anything in return. After moving to my community I decided immediately that I wanted to pursue a few volunteer opportunities because it’s also a great way to meet new people.

7) Travel: Through my work and also personally, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling this year. I’ve always been an avid traveller. I love experiencing new places. This year I travelled to southern Ontario a couple of times; back to Manitoba several times; road trips to Saskatchewan; Montreal; Minneapolis; and Kansas City, as well as exploring my new province of Alberta.

8) The Guy: Without getting too mushy, I am especially thankful for one person in particular this year. He came into my life shortly after I decided to remain in Alberta, which made me even more certain of my decision. He’s fun to be around and makes me laugh with his quirky sense of humour. He’s a constant reminder to not take life too seriously. And most importantly, he seems to like me as I am, despite all the flaws. But no one’s perfect, right?!

Well, there you have it. My thankful list for 2012. I also want to thank you for reading my blog, Rural Route Ramblings, this year. I hope I have made you think, laugh and smile (maybe not all at the same time!).

I hope this blog post has made you think about what you’re most thankful for this year. Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Happy New Year!