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#30DaysOfThanks: The Ability to See the World

This article is part of a series known as #30DaysOfThanks.


see the world

There are many things I’m grateful for… my family, friends, amazing fiancé, my health, home, job… the list goes on. Our generation has led a pretty privileged life, there are a lot of things we have been able to do that generations preceding us have not had the opportunity to even fathom. Just think about how commonplace it is for women to attend university these days. Even 30 years ago that wasn’t the case. I have so many things to be grateful for, but this year especially I am thankful for the opportunity to travel and see the world.

Since I was a little girl I have had an itch to go and see new places, and that wanderlust hasn’t slowed as I’ve grown older. On the contrary it has become something I pursue even more. I want to see the whole world. All of it. I’m grateful that this is even a possibility for me, and the truth is without the advancement of our society travel wouldn’t be accessible and in my opinion possible for a lot of people. I’m all about counting my blessings.

When I’m traveling, I’m thankful for:

The fact that planes go fast. Seriously, it would take so long to get anywhere if planes did not go as fast as they did.

That people in other countries are friendly. To date I’ve probably only had one or two bad experiences with people in a different country not helping me out when I’m lost or just generally not being pleasant. I’ve been very fortunate that people have been willing to help me or explain things to me while I’m abroad. Without this I’d probably have a lot worse taste in my mouth when it came to certain places in the world.

That you can travel for cheap. What would I do without Airbnb or other vacation rental sites, discount train tickets, and hostels? There is no way I could afford to travel as much as I have without these options. If hotels were the only thing available I’d be traveling a lot less.

That I have the most amazing people to share my travels with. Solo traveling looks like it could be for some people, but I don’t think it’s for me. I travel to see the world but I love sharing these experiences with people. I’ve been so fortunate to have gone on trips with my sister, parents, fiancé, and my closest and best friends. I love reminiscing about these travels abroad and there are no better people I would rather share my experiences with.

When I’m tired, cranky, and homesick that I stop to take a breath, and I remind myself how beautiful the world we live in is. Travel doesn’t always go according to plan, and when things don’t go the way you want them to remember to take a moment to appreciate the world we live in. There is so much beauty we are surrounded by and we all need to stop and smell the roses.

I feel very fortunate to be able to have these experiences. I have learned so much from my travels around the globe and hope to be able to continue to see the world for the rest of my life.

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About the Author

Janine Eccleston

Janine is a tax specialist and personal finance blogger for Calgary, AB. She is actively pursuing her CPA designation while fighting her way to financial freedom. She is the Vice-President External for the not-for-profit Her Success and enjoys sharing her financial knowledge with her peers. When she is not at work or studying Janine enjoys traveling, baking, yoga and ending off the day with a glass of wine.

Website: mypenniesmythoughts.com