You're Welcomesgiving

Jon, Cody, and I made calendars for people for Christmas, using photos from our lives and including key dates that we felt were important. Jon's favorite was You're Welcomesgiving Day, coming, unsurprisingly, the day after Thanksgiving. As I've been reflecting on how we got here, and how incredibly cool it is that we in fact DID get here, I've been thinking a lot about the friends and family members (which to me are one and the same) who helped.
People have looked at me and said some variation of "it's so cool that you're moving to New Zealand. You're pretty incredible to do so." I never know what to respond, as I don't really consider my move to New Zealand any more difficult than moving to Arkansas or California. Really, at the end of the day, as long as you have supportive people in your life, you can move anywhere or accomplish anything. So in the spirit of thanksgiving on my end and you're welcomesgiving on all your ends, lets go through a very truncated list of shoutouts...
First of all, obviously, thanks to my bad-ass family for growing me and Cody up to be people who are comfortable and driven to travel. We went climbing with Pat while in St. Louis this January and were talking about how incredible it is that the women of our family are totally game to throw themselves up a wall in ridiculous shoes, supported only by a rope, without ever having done it before at the age of 60something plus. How wild and adventurous is that?! We have incredible models for strength and courage.
Thanks to my adopted family, in all its incarnations and parts of the world, for supporting the idea and reality of us moving here. Thanks to Nate and Miriam for letting me have your baby and become part of your lives for so long and supporting me in all my cross-country moves. Thanks to Banana for being encouraging and supportive of whatever hare-brained scheme I came/come up with. Thanks to all my wonderful Fayetteville roommates--I miss you guys on a daily basis! Thank you a million times over to Alicia, one of the people with whom I hope to keep traveling for the rest of my life. Thanks to Jeff for being game and putting together wonderfully inappropriate gift packs every chance he gets. Thanks to all the amazing kids at OCA--they helped me to understand what really matters. Thanks to Ned, Edward, and Cammie for all their support as I was going through the growing pains of my first year of grown-up life. Thanks to Jon's mom and dad and Ms. Carol for sharing him so generously and throwing their full support behind me dragging their son to far-off places. Thanks anyone who I haven't named specifically; I genuinely believe that without the enthusiasm and generosity of all the people I am fortunate enough to love and bump against, I wouldn't be here today.
Of course, in a sappy turn, full of organ music, thanks to Cotopaxi, my incredible, crazy, brave little sister, for providing the kick in the ass to get us here. Thanks to mom and dad for helping us get here, loving Bettie and Isaac, letting us crash in Michigan, giving me a sub position, raising us so well, etc.....
Finally, of course, thanks to Jon for being every bit as stubborn and bull-headed as I am, for challenging me on a daily basis, for not letting me take cop-outs, for being as present and sweet in our relationship as he makes a point of being, if not every day, every few...
Ok, that's my super sappy, self-indulgent post. I have been wanting to get this out for a while now, as I genuinely believe that it's thanks to all of you that we are here today. Thank you and please know that the three of the Champspratt clan (Cody is an honorary member) send big love from New Zealand.