It never ceases to amaze me how well we are taken care of.

I have completed 2 classes now in culinary school, and now I am on my Spring Break.  The stars aligned and spontaneously, Kevin and I were able to schedule a last minute vacation to Louisiana.

I have seen the fruit of hard labor in many places here.  In school, I have worked hard and have improved, and it is a fulfilling feeling.  I can actually see improvement in a tangible way- and it encourages me to keep working.  It is so enjoyable to find something that you are good at, that you enjoy as well, and to  do it with all of your might.  I'm thankful for the people who encouraged me to pursue culinary arts!

I can see the fruit of us not giving up on trying to make friends here.  We have been blessed with people in our lives who have taken care of us greatly.  Not only are they there for us at 6:30 in the morning when we have car trouble, but they come over when we feel lonely and play Kevin's games with us for as long as we can stay awake.  

I don't know what I was afraid of in moving here.  I knew it was the right decision, and now I feel silly for even hesitating, because it's almost as if this spot at the hostel was picked out for us in advance, prepared for us, and waiting on us.

Everything outside is covered in inches of snow, and while it feels like we are in a winter wonderland, we will soon be escaping to the South where I am promised crawfish and warmer weather.

One of our long-term hostel guests will be coming to LA with us! He has become an adopted member of our family, eating meals with us and hanging out with us regularly.  He is from England and our friendship with him has grown greatly the longer he has been here, and Kevin and I felt like it would be a great experience for him to embark on this road trip with us.  So today we are all going to go look for a thurmas, because leaving at 5:30 in the morning requires at least a quart of hot coffee to be passed around in the Altima as we head for Illinois in this frozen weather.

I want to express my gratitude in this post because I don't feel like it is expressed enough.  Everything I have exclaimed in here I am exclaiming because I am thankful, because I don't feel like I ever had control of these circumstances and the way they were planned out, and because through that I feel like I have been taken care of and supported in ways that I cannot explain, by God and by people.  Thank you to everyone who cares about me and supports me, and know that just by telling someone you love that you are proud of them, that you support them- you give them energy to take another risk that could open up new doors to new opportunities.  Never underestimate the power you have in someones' life, even if you're in it for a brief moment- just to show them dignity and respect-- and support.