Thankful Thursday

Australia is a long way away, but with Twitter and blogger I feel like M is closer than the 9200 miles that separate Carol Stream and Sydney.

Today M began blogging.  I'm hopeful that eventually lots of pictures will show up on her blog.  For now I'm just happy to read about her initial impressions and experiences in Sydney.  It sounds like she is adjusting well, but I know from my solo international travels when I was in high school and college, life abroad is fun, but it can also be stressful, frustrating, and challenging.

I'm thankful that M is happy with her apartment and is off to a good start with her roommate.  I hope that all four of the girls are able to be respectful of one another and enjoy living together. 

I'm also thankful that M seems comfortable and confident in her new environment.  She is quickly becoming a regular at Crystal Cafe for coffee and internet access and she's already gone grocery shopping for staples for meals.  Living in the apartment the past year at Purdue will help her to be able to prepare easy meals at home instead of having to go out to eat all the time.

While I miss M, I'm thankful that she has such a wonderful opportunity to live and learn in a world-class, multicultural city, even if it is almost half a world away.