Effusive Thanks.

Oops. I’m getting worse and worse at keeping up on my thankfulness. It’s been how many days since my last post? And November is almost over and I have so much to be thankful for; I don’t even know where to begin!

So I guess I’ll start by saying that as the World Traveler, I am thankful for a weekend of traveling: Baltimore to NYC to Boston and back.

One of the reasons I love traveling is that I feel that it is the thing, in that I don’t have to be doing anything other than being when I travel. When I’m stationary, I feel desperate to make myself busy, which is admittedly part of the motivation behind this Thankfulness project. I just wanted to feel good about myself by committing to doing something every day and then doing it, and crossing it off of my to-do list.

But one of the greatest life lessons any of us can learn, I’ve discovered, is that the past does not exist--it is past--and the future does not exist, it is yet to come. All that matters is this moment. And I’ve been eager to change my mindset from “life will be better when…” to “life is exactly what it should be now.”

I’m forgetful. And also hopeful and ambitious. So this lesson is difficult for me.

And thus, I am thankful for travel. For busses, and trains and planes, and destinations and the in between spaces, where I do not feel the need to do anything but sit and soak in the present. I am slowly learning contentment in all moments, and travel is the teacher. 

I’m thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to travel so much over the course of my life; I know this is not something everyone is able to experience. I am grateful for the resources that allow me to travel as much as I do, and for the support of friends and family, which keeps me traveling. Perhaps I’m alone in this, but I love the faint feeling of displacement when it is accompanied by welcome arms and tea and warm, new places.

I’m also thankful for what I do; I don’t know if I’ve articulated this amply as of yet. I’m thankful that opera found me and I’m thankful that I get a chance, however large or small it may be, to contribute to the perpetuation of something that means a lot to me. I know I more frequently express my affinity for pop culture than I speak out on behalf of my love for classical music; I feel cliché and over the top when in admitting how much this art has opened me up to new things and taught about history and culture and love in all languages. Opera is rich; it has a lot to give. I’m thankful that as I receive, my capacity to learn and appreciate only expands.

Which brings me to my next, and perhaps most important item of thankfulness: the people. I know I’ve mentioned this. I feel like I’m writing a personal statement or cover letter for some application in saying so over and over again, but the connections and lifelong friends I’ve made, many as a result of opera doings, are what it’s all about for me. These people give me so much; not only floors to sleep on and respite from the cold. We share something deep and I’m not going to be very good at articulating it. It is support, and encouragement, yes. It is solidarity and a willingness to listen. It is most of all, vulnerability on and off stage. And it makes my cry when I catch a glimpse of it because I am emotional and cry of joy often.

As the ever-wise Randall Bills says, happiness breeds happiness. I am thankful for happy people. I am thankful that I am one of those happy people and I am thankful for the opportunity to share parts of myself with those around me, and maybe make the world a little happier.