"Baby's First Election"

From France I was able to stand on the other side of America and look inward. Like watching animals at a zoo, I was a spectator observing my own life for a while. Imagine that for a minute. A giraffe gets let out of her small glass encased environment and walks around the zoo looking at everything she's missing and although there is so much to see, she keeps coming back to her old home just to see how things are going.

For me, this experience was one I am just now coming to terms with. I certainly explored the whole zoo while I was over there but I'm only just now realizing that I spent a lot of time looking back into my old environment. And I didn't necessarily like what I saw. But I didn't necessarily love walking around the zoo all day. It was a bit of a rude awakening and I feel like the year put a little chip on my shoulder. I think I might be a little too critical of my culture (aka Elitist). I met some german exchange students last night and I kept talking about how badly I wanted to move back to Europe to live and go to school and travel because I've tired of America.

But today I voted in my first election ever. And for the first time since I've been back in America (and maybe for the first time since after 9/11) I felt proud to be an American citizen. I got the same feeling after I sealed my ballot that I get when I watch fireworks. It gave me goosebumps and I think that being able to vote is the best thing about being American. I know you can vote in other countries...we are NOT the only democratic society on earth...but I just felt a connection to my homeland that had been lacking for a very long time.

I never thought that voting would be this big of a deal to me but it really is. I voted for President of the United States and my Mother on the same ballot! Voting CLEARLY has a real effect on my life and I don't think I can understand the people who say, "Well my vote doesn't really count" now, because it does. Maybe you feel like you are really helping make decisions or maybe it just makes you feel a little bit more attached to where you are. Regardless of what happens to this piece of paper after I drop it into the mailbox tomorrow, I feel like I did something important for myself today.

Thats all. Go vote. It's good for the soul.