Lau AlexandraHappy November! I hope that you had a healthy dose of sugar yesterday (candy corn, you have my heart), and are ready for Mariah Carey season are ready for taking November ONE DAY AT A TIME! Don’t get me wrong, I’m pumped for all things Christmas, but I’m not ready to let go of harvest season and rush away this month just yet.
That’s part of the reason why I’m taking part in Positively Present’s November Gratitude Challenge for the third year in a row. Each day, creator Dani DiPirro gives a new word for participants to focus on in terms of gratitude. You can join in at any time, and express gratitude in any way you’d like, publicly or privately.
So, let’s get started with Day 1: Comfort!
Seeing “comfort” as the first word of the 2022 Gratitude Challenge initially threw me off. What aspect should I focus on for this first post?
Visions of cuddly blankets and warm autumn scenes danced in my head, as did cozy Christmas montages and summer beach sunsets. All lovely, all comforting, all…so basic to me.
Not that there’s anything wrong with basic, she thinks, as she sips her pumpkin spice latte while scrolling through her Insta feed, which is filled with- you guessed it! – images of cuddly blankets and warm autumn scenes and cozy Christmas montages and summer beach sunsets.
Sigh.
My 19 year old cat was also a strong contender- now that it’s getting colder outside, she graces me with her presence nightly, snuggled on my lap until that God-forsaken 5:35 AM alarm goes off, scaring both of us out of our wits and making her dart out of my bedroom faster than I can hit “snooze.”
But she, too, got the “comfort veto”.
Ultimately, I decided on something that may not seem like it would fall into the comfort category: flying on a plane.
I know, I know…it kinda sounds strange.
I mean, unless you’re one of the lucky elite consistently flying First Class (teach me your ways), your standard airplane seat isn’t exactly winning the coziness game. In fact, it’s more of a first place contender in the leg-cramping, temperature-varying, inevitably-annoying-human-behind-you-aggressively-assaulting-their-tray-table game.
HOWEVER
(you knew there had to be a “however”, right?)
Every time I get on a plane, I feel an overwhelming sense of comfort and relaxation. I’m at home when in flight, knowing that it’s bringing me to my next adventure. The child behind me kicking my seat and the freezing air vent that won’t shut off don’t matter. I’m in my travel element, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
The opportunities I’ve had to travel via plane this year alone are enough for a lifetime of gratitude. As I board my flight to Florida next week, armed with material for that day’s Gratitude Challenge, I’ll be keeping this day in mind, remembering to say an extra “thank you” for yet another flying opportunity.
Until next time,
Lau
