Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving Day

In every country I visit, I try to learn four things in the local language:

Hello ~ Delicious ~ Beautiful ~ Thank you

Thank you is always my favorite, and the one I tend to overuse. I don’t do it to be polite. I really like people to know when I appreciate them.

Now, I might be far removed from the American tradition of turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and Carly’s famous mac & cheese (gawd I’m hungry now), but it won’t stop me from giving thanks on this Thanksgiving Day.

I’ve been traveling for 391 days. And I would’ve gone home a long time ago if it weren’t for 1) the many gifts and donations from my family and friends back home, and 2) the open arms and hospitality of those I’ve met along the way.

I couldn’t have done this round-the-world thing without them. To those who have helped me make it this far in my travels, I say:

Thank you, Terima Kasih, Khob Kun Ka, Okun Charan, Cam On, and Dhanyavad. (Brace yourselves, it’s a long list! And in no particular order.)

Yuka – Hollywood swag bag “crap” like the Flip It camera & iPod shuffle & more (your trash was my treasure). But most precious of all, a custom-made journal with photos of us pasted throughout. I heart you wifey.

Chandra – Two of the most practical and valuable things I’ve taken with me: the Gregory backpack that has put up with a whole year of travel abuse, and the laptop on which I type this blog entry. Chandra, it is because of you that this blog exists in the first place.

John – Endless encouragement and the most generous travel donations any friend has given me. You leave me speechless sometimes. You are a huge reason I’m still able to live my dream.

Marj & Diogo – Newlyweds working hard & studying harder to make ends meet in West Hollywood, and who still insisted I accept their humble donation. You two are simply the bee’s knees.

Cheré – One tough mama who gifted me an inspirational piece of jewelry and a specially marked bill which I still carry with me to this day. You are my greatest cheerleader.

Sarah – A one-of-a-kind journal and a last-minute trip to Olympia to bring me something I’d idiotically forgotten in Portland. A real friend, to come all that way after we’d already said our goodbyes. We got two goodbyes, Sarah, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Iyda – Perfect travel tags, one of which has been attached to my backpack since day one. You gave me these when this travel thing was just an idea in my head, and these tags are the first physical pieces of inspiration that got me going.

Jae – The most studious of all students took time out of his busy schedule to buy me a sense of direction in the form of a compass. Jae honey, someday I will find my way back to you and we will eat Butterfingers til we throw up.

Peter – The only book I’ve carried with me since the beginning: Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. I hope you know how much this book has inspired me.

Maian & Marissa – Friendly donations in exchange for the clothes I gave away before I left LA. So happy my clothes get to have a second life with two beauuutiful ladies.

Amanda – A web domain. Such a nice surprise, and I’d be using it if I hadn’t just bought one myself. You planted this blog seed in my head so long ago and it’s finally blossoming.

Todd – Who knew that an eyemask you stuffed in my Christmas stocking years ago would become one of my most-treasured travel belongings. You inadvertently gave me the gift of sound sleep in busy hostels, buses, boats, planes and trains.

Chuck – A relative stranger who gave me an adorable solar-powered toy monkey which I attached to the dash of the CRV. My dad says he thinks of me every time he gets into that car and sees this little purple wobblything. Thank you from the both of us for keeping the “Thy” spirit alive at home.

Dario – All the way from Switzerland, a crystal stone I hold dear to my heart, and a generous supply of much-needed Fenistil.

Vy – Sweet goodies from home and a perfect pocket-size picture album that makes my eyes well up every time I look at it.

Anyone who has opened up their homes or connected me with someone who could:

First and foremost: Steve aka Stavros – you are the reason I was able to stay in your outrageously expensive country for so long. A delightful host and such a dear, dear friend. – Sydney, Australia

Chu Tam & the rest of my “Ro-tarded” Family – Cabramatta, Australia
Keith & Family (with thanks also to Eric L.) – Wellington, New Zealand
Craig & Alistair – Rotorua, New Zealand
Chris (with thanks also to Lucien) – Auckland, New Zealand
David & Sarah – Roxburgh, New Zealand
Jess (and Heidi too!) – Gold Coast, Australia
Sue & Paul – Byron Bay, Australia
Craig – Brisbane, Australia
Kieran – Airlie Beach, Australia
Michael & Jane – Magnetic Island, Australia
Sandra & Roomies – Cairns, Australia
Luca – Melbourne, Australia
Aki (with thanks also to Brandon) – Bali, Indonesia
Sandeep & Jaspreet – Mumbai, India
Ian (with thanks also to Daniel) – Mumbai, India
Chu Hai & Co Loan – Saigon, Vietnam
Tram & Ngoc Anh & Tuan – Saigon, Vietnam
Co Linh & Family – Saigon, Vietnam
Chu Phuong, Brother & Family – Saigon, Vietnam
Co Dinh, Thu Hien & Viet Anh (with thanks also to Chu Binh) – Hanoi, Vietnam
My – Da Nang, Vietnam
Thuy & Gau & Family – Hue, Vietnam
Phuong & Family – Hoi An, Vietnam
Co Kim Anh & Co Loan & Families – Buon Ma Thout, Vietnam
Chu Duc & Family – Nha Trang, Vietnam
My Aunts & Uncles & Cousins & Grandmothers – all over south Vietnam

All my Couchsurfing hosts and friends:

Chyka & Family – Singapore
Tony – Kampot, Cambodia
Gaurav & Dev – Mumbai, India
Daniel – Goa, India
Latika – Goa, India
Harsha – New Delhi, India
Gurdeep & Mom – New Delhi, India
Mayur – Varanasi, India
Sid – Varanasi, india

Jill - for the warmest Kiwi/American welcome when I landed in Queenstown a lost, clueless, amateur backpacker.

My three IT stooges – Kris, Kaho & Scott – for preparing my laptop for world travel.

Fitz – for being my Kiwi angel who accompanied this bleeding backpacker to the emergency room when no one else would.

Gia – for putting up with my motorbike neediness and for taxi’ing me around Saigon.

Truc - for allowing me to invade your space and for correcting my Vietnamese.

And most importantly, Bố & Mẹ for my life and everything in it.

I am blessed. I am truly blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all and to the countless others who have supported me with your kind words and well wishes. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

A part of me wishes I was stuffing my face with green bean casserole and making gravy volcanoes out of my mashed potatoes and sneaking extra helpings of Carly’s mac & cheese. And a part of me knows I can have that stuff next year. For now, I just give thanks.

Thank you.