I am traveling in Amsterdam for work this week and just got back in. The time is 12:40 AM and I had dinner at The Supper Club, and a drink after nearby.
Why write this late?
Because we elected Barack Obama and that is good. In the Supper Club tonight there was a band and they started and ended their set with cheers for Obama. It is a nice feeling to be an expatriate abroad and feel our international family feel excited collectively based on the results of an election in the U.S.A..
On the way home from the bar a drunk walking one way and I exchanged greetings. Obviously noting my American accent, he said "Howabout Obama!" and I said it is good. I am loving the day.
I woke up at 5AM to see election results and watched President Elect-Obama give his speech to a crowd of thousands in Chicago. How grateful I am that we, the American collective, have put in an office a smart guy, one who seems to have a steady hand and a cool appreciation for technical details - something I think has been lacking in the last eight years.
And the biggest bonus? The instant perception change that I have noticed here abroad. I've meaning to write about what it means to me personally to be an expatriate American and maybe this is the start.
Congratulations Senator Obama. I voted for you. Let's see what we can do together to change the world.