31 days of thanks

A couple of weeks ago, when our shipping pallet finally arrived in Lyon, we had so much fun unpacking the boxes that we'd left behind in America this summer. It was like Christmas morning -- boxes and paper strewn across the floor, and cries of joy as we unwrapped our beloved treasures. Now, with family photos on the mantle and books adorning the shelves, our apartment looks and feels more like home.

One of the books I couldn't wait to see again was One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Last year I read this book -- no, I didn't read it, exactly. I savored it. Like fine chocolate, I nibbled at it slowly, mesmerized by each beautiful phrase. This is a book about gratitude. Gratitude for the everyday things, the deep things, the sweet things, and yes, even the hard things. Unpacking this book reminded me that it's been a long time since I've sat down quietly and counted my blessings. During my run today, I got an idea (I always get great ideas when I sweat). I decided to take the month of October and blog every day about one thing about Lyon that I'm thankful for.

Now, you probably noticed that I didn't blog very much in September, so this will be quite a challenge. The posts will be short and sweet. Just one thing per day. I have no excuses. Readers, you have permission to berate me in the comments if I miss a day. So let's get started:

October 1 - Today I'm thankful for Lyon Bleu. This is my language school. I walk just 5 blocks to class every morning, for a group lesson led by Nathalie, my awesome instructor. The rest of the class consists of teenagers. No kidding - one of them is younger than my daughter. So I'm the class Mom, and my rusty old brain gets a good workout every day. The reason I'm thankful for these classes is that I found myself getting stuck in a rut with my novice-level French. I could order food at a restaurant and ask for directions (without understanding the answer), but that was about it. I found myself getting more and more intimidated, instead of more confident, each day that I spent in Lyon. I still have a huge mountain ahead of me, but I feel like I'm climbing up that mountain now instead of slowly slipping back down. English is not allowed in class, so I'm forced to sort through the mental rolodex for each word and phrase that I need to communicate. French immersion - who would have thought that would be something to be thankful for?

See you tomorrow.