Today Americans take a pause, sit down together, and give thanks. In General Coffee State Park in Georgia, John and I have been doing the same. Some of these are serious, some are more light-hearted, but here are the 6 things for which we give thanks today:

Our family and friends. This may be obvious but always bears repeating. We are thankful every day for the love and support we have from the people in our lives who we love and who love us. You’ve listened to us bang on about travelling the US for years now and always managed to sound interested. You’ve given us inspiration, encouraged us, stored our stuff, lent us cars, drank to our travels, driven us to the airport, picked us up from the airport, welcomed us into your home, given us advice, received our mail, read our blog, emailed us/Whatsapped/Facetimed us when we’ve been missing you. To old friends who’ve made time to keep our friendships strong, to new friends who have welcomed us into your lives and homes, to our families who have supported us in countless ways all our lives, thank you.

Americans. We’ve met so many kind and helpful people on our trip so far.  In every campsite, and many towns, along the way, we’ve met at least one and normally more than one person who’s come over to talk to us, to offer advice and suggestions on places to see and things to do, to offer help when it’s needed, to just make conversation. Strangers have read our blog and sent us kind words, well wishes, helpful tips. All these things make this experience so much richer and mean we’re never short of ideas on what to do next. We’ve just got to fit it all in!

Public facilities: The National Park Service, State and County Parks, visitors’ centres.  We’ve been in so many places already that are so well maintained and staffed by kind and helpful people, it’s hard to believe that they are not private concerns. I’m typing this from a State Park campground. We’ve got all the water and electricity we could want. We’ve got a picnic table and a fire ring. We’ve got laundry facilities and clean washrooms that I’m happy to wash my hair in. America, we salute you!

Warm weather ! We’re now in Georgia and it’s been a comfortable 72 degrees and sunny today. I am happy and John is happy that I am not cold. I get grumpy when I’m cold. Or so I’m told…

This opportunity to follow our dream. Many people have said to us that we are lucky, that they’d love to do what we are doing. We know we are and we are thankful for this year and to our employers for keeping our jobs open. We have worked hard to make it happen, taken opportunities as they’ve arisen, planned and compromised, and had a lot of help and support along the way. We are thankful to each other that we’ve got to this place together and have lots more adventures to come.

And finally, John would like me to say that he is thankful for all the amazing micro-breweries that have sprung up in America in the last decade and which have made his experience so rich and hoppy. I expect I should be thankful that he’s happy. Ok I am. I’m thankful for John (and his love of beer)!