Daniela Sofia Galeana Gaspar, Grade 11
UWC ISAK Japan

Let's start simple….
  • Myself
    The only person I will always have to share a life with.
  • Sweets
    For making me smile on bitter days.
  • ​Having an education
    I'm grateful for having an education. Why? School is stressful and scary and sometimes I would rather stay home and rest. But school and education don't have to be hell. Especially at a place like UWC, I’m thankful that my education goes beyond knowing. I love that I can raise my hand and that I don't understand. I love that passion doesn't have to be in a box. 
  • Making mistakes
    No one likes making mistakes, life would be a thousand times easier if we didn't without them. Still, I'm thankful for my mistakes. They prepare me for the future and build my confidence and resilience. They dilute fear with experience and turn it into learning. It's true you should think before you act and face when you don't, but try to be grateful for them once in a while.
  • ​Books 
    Empty, absolutely empty. I couldn't be anything but grateful for books, not only do they keep me sane on boring days. Sometimes when my head fights with creativity and it tries to leave the only reasonable thing to do in those times is to pick up a book and read. Who knows, it might be interesting enough for creativity to forgive me. 
  • Notebooks
    Just as books, notebooks have a purpose, they serve as a blank space to write. How can something so simple be of such importance to my life? Well, like many people, I am an overthinker, I'm anxious and I'm stressed half of the time. Whenever you have something in your mind that you need to let go of, write. Take a notebook and let it take the burden for you.
  • Dinner with friends
    I'm a shy person, that's not something I can hide, conversations are not my strength, but sometimes when my brain is too busy doing something else, words feel bland and stories are easier to tell. That's why I'm thankful for dinner with friends when I'm too tired to care and 90% of my brain is focused on how good food tastes, that's when they really get to know me.
  • A Monster Calls
    A book about guilt and grievance makes me feel like a real person. As someone who has struggled with guilt, especially during childhood, coming across that book made me feel heard and like a real human being, with valid experiences and no actual reason to let guilt define the perception of myself. So if you struggle to forgive yourself, look for poems, books, movies, and paintings that do the same. Non-human things are sometimes the most human. 
  • Peoples heartbeats
    Listening to people's heartbeats is something nim grateful for. Well of course! It means they're alive. I like listening to them especially when I care. I like when it beats faster if people are excited. If im honest im grateful for some people's heartbeats.​