What we take for granted

Imagine if every time you went to brush your teeth you had to find a bottle of water to wet your toothbrush or when you went to take a shower you had to be careful not to let water get in your mouth because it could make you sick.

I have just lived through 9 days of that in a foreign country and I have to tell you it made me truly appreciate living in America. Walking the streets of this third world country, my nose was subjected to smells it has never been subjected to - not something I would even care to describe to you - and believe me, you appreciate me for that! Navigating traffic was a... well lets just say I closed my eyes because I couldn't stomach it.

Needless to say, living in a place where I had to watch what I ate and drank, wash my hands constantly with hand sanitizer and deal with filth everywhere, it made me truly aware of how blessed we are even on the worst days.

Every single American has access to a free education. We have programs to help feed those in need. Most people can access clean drinking water and we are allowed to express our opinions freely without fear of government retaliation.

This experience has certainly made me think about all of the things we often take for granted. The reality is I believe we are very blessed and can be thankful everyday for what we have.