Patel It Like It Is: Thankful

This was my first Thanksgiving (or as my Spanish teacher Daniel tells me Dia de Gracias) not spent in Amarillo. BUT, it was celebrated here in London nonetheless with a group of friends. At home, we usually go around the table sharing what we're thankful for this year. Here's my list...

Uggs: Best. Invention. Ever. I have a pair of dark brown Uggs and LOVE them. I waterproofed mine, and they keep my feet oh-so-warm. I wear them everyday (even when they don't match my outfit...haha!). Can't wait to pick up some additional pairs when I'm back in the States for Christmas.

Health: I am thankful that I can quickly fill out health questionaires. No allergies, no chronic illnesses, no broken bones. I registered with NHS in the UK last week. Though it likely will not compare to the fantastic coverage I had with my employer's Aetna package in the States, it's better than nothing. And I respect a country which makes sure that all people have basic primary care.

Airplanes: They take me to faraway places to visit people and have adventures. I likely will regain my platinum status (whoop!) with Continental this year with my cross-Atlantic flights plus my trip to South America last summer. They also bring people to visit me. I'm SO happy I got to see my sweet dear college friend Bo and her fiance Tuan this week. Just like old times we had our fair share of catching up, laughter, and shopping in Covent Garden. Bo even inspired me to add to my Apple and Kate Spade clutch collection :). Can't wait to see Levi next weekend when he's in London!

Sawed varsity's horns off: Yep, Texas A&M beat t.u. in Austin in our annual showdown. The Aggies are now going to a bowl game while the Longhorns have had their first losing season since Mack Brown has been coach. Our team (full of sophomores and juniors) has had six straight victories. WHOOP! I didn't get a chance to watch this game because of a Strategy final the next day. However, I'm definitely going to The Sports Cafe next year to watch this at midnight (London time)!

Newness: That was one of the main things I was looking for when I came to London. New stamps in my passport. New cuisines. New shot glasses. New friends. New languages. New challenges. Most importantly, new adventures. And I'm thankful I've had all of those. One new (and slightly geeky) adventure was last weekend when I entered this crazy quiz game with one of my classmates. It was sponsored by Tata and definitely was over-the-top. It was the first time I had ever heard of it, but it's a BIG deal in the UK and India. The questions were surprisingly tough, and it was fun. Afterwards, I used London's version of the floo network (aka Underground) to go watch the first part of Harry Potter 7 with some classmates. SO GOOD!!

Friends: I spent Thanksgiving with my rugby teammates at a feast thrown by one of the EMBA-Globals. (Mental note: they throw the BEST parties). The host and hostesses had a wonderful meal with all the fixings prepared for us. I had so much to eat!! Including pecan pie (my absolute FAVORITE)! As I sat on the couch surrounded by friends, drinking mulled wine, and watching live NFL football (!!) on the host's giant TV, I thought "this is as good as it gets". Thankful for fabulous rugby and study group friends!