I ♥ Orlando

A few weeks ago I went with some friends to my favorite place on the planet. It took some scrimping and saving, a whole lot of planning, plenty more improvising, and several exceptionally generous people. I felt so incredibly blessed to be there.

I know Florida is not for everyone. It really is strange how much I love it! It is the complete opposite of the cold, dry, land-locked, small-town I grew up in. But Orlando truly feels like home to me. Every time I visit I am reminded how hard it is to leave.

And here are a few reasons why:

• I can breath! I have terrible allergies and a deviated septum so between the humidity and the oxygen-rich, sea-level air, my lungs are so much happier in Florida.
• Spanish moss - everywhere. I realize that it is technically neither moss nor Spanish, and it's actually a parasite, but it looks so whimsical and romantic hanging from the trees... I just love it!
• There are lizards everywhere. Lizards are so stinkin' cool.

• SUNSHINE!! Vitamin D makes me happy.
• Even when it rains, it's still warm. Singing and dancing in the rain is a completely enjoyable experience there :)

• It never gets much colder than freezing, and even that's only a few times in the winter. If you can survive the melting summers, the rest of the year is thermalogical perfection!
• I just feel better there. Warm weather inspires me to work out more, eat less and choose lighter, healthier foods. My body is much happier when it is healthy and active.
• It is so green and lush and alive because the plants keep growing all year long. Green is kinda my favorite color and the eternal greenness makes me so happy!!
• Where else do you hear the rolling thunder of fireworks in the distance every single night?! Besides the nights you watch them from the dock of a private lake, or the beach of a Disney resort...

• Speaking of beaches, there is coastal access within an hour to the east or west. I love the feeling of sand between my toes, a sea breeze across my face and the sounds of waves crashing in my ears. It is honestly therapeutic for me!

• Florida is the only place where the further north you go, the further south you get! I love Southern accents, Southern manners, and good ol' fashioned hospitality.
• Fireflies....Seriously the most amazing creature ever.
• Florida skies! Because of all the moisture in the air, it is the lightning capital of the U.S. and the thunderstorms are amazing! Plus those scattered clouds make for incredible sunsets - with no mountains blocking the view ;)

• Good eats: Bahama Breeze, Seasons 54, Earl of Sandwich, Panera Bread, and the incomparable Dole Whip soft serve are all culinary treasures that are lacking in the west.

• Diversity. There are literally people there from all over the country and the world.
• Palm trees =Warm = Happiness
• Good people :) I still have so many awesome old friends there that love me for exactly the person I am, and so many new friends who keep things ever-evolving and interesting.
• Ummmm.... Walt Disney World. Need I say more?

I feel so blessed that I still have so many opportunities to go back to visit! Even though right now I can't live there full time, I am grateful for the Florida moments I still get, and for the people who make them magical. I enjoy every minute and every memory made! And I still have faith that some day I'll be able to go back to my second home - for good!

So many beautiful reasons I have to be happy!

After spending the day in a very happy place with some dear friends I simply love, I was thinking about how very blessed I am. And then I came across an article containing this quote from President Thomas S. Monson:

“A grateful heart … comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives,” said President Monson in a 2010 address. “This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. … When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.”

(For the entire statement, click here.)

It got me thinking about my current situation and attitude. At times I struggle with the seemingly endless wanderings of my life, the many unanswered questions and unaccomplished dreams. But then I think about all the incredible blessings I have been given, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

I have an incredible family who love, support, and challenge me.

I have amazing, talented, beautiful, and loving friends all over the world. And I have a computer and internet access to help me stay in touch with them!

I can dance, run, and play. I can taste yummy food and breathe in warm, wonderful smells. I have red hair and freckles :) My body is healthy and awesome!

I can communicate with people from many different backgrounds and cultures, and thereby share a little of their journey.

I am halfway done grad school and my journey to become a teacher!

I live in a safe, comfortable place. I have warm blankets and a space heater to keep me warm, and still have the opportunity to visit warmer climes occasionally.

And most importantly, I have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with my Savior and my Father in Heaven, and have been promised amazing blessings.

I am so blessed to be alive!! It makes me so grateful for each day and makes my heart happy! I only hope I can share all these fabulous blessings so that others can feel that love and have a happy heart too - regardless of what life has thrown their way.

So when you reach deep and look hard enough, what do you have to be thankful for?