Happy Independence Day American friends.
I hope wherever in the world you are, you are celebrating your special day in a special way.
Living in America helped us to understand why this day is so important to you and to understand your culture more.
It is through a culture’s festivals and celebrations we are able to do this, which in turn brings about greater tolerance and acceptance.
Our first July 4th was in 2004 and was celebrated at the Atlanta Braves v’s Chicago Cubs Baseball game in Atlanta. Craig and I were super excited as we felt we were having the ultimate American experience.
Happy July 4th
We got free baseball caps upon arrival to the game, and by the time the seventh innings stretch came on we had a beer in one hand and a hot dog in the other. Can you get any more American on Independence Day?
And then of course it finished off with fireworks, the Star Spangled Banner and other American patriotic songs.
Since then we’ve celebrated it in the quiet solitude of Dead Horse State Park and at friend’s house parties.
Not a bad view
This year we aren’t doing anything for it back in Oz, except thinking of y’all and writing a…
…List of things we Miss most about America.
In no particular order:
- Cheap clothes and outlet stores
- Cheap, fast and reliable internet
- Bum kissing customer service at restaurants
- Millions of options of everything = cheaper prices and better quality
- $7.50 jugs (pitchers) of beer at our local.
- Micro-breweries
- The Southern humidity
- Four seasons and the changing of the leaves
- Good old fashioned Southern manners, Sir and Ma’am
- The Rocky Mountains
- UNC Basketball – Two National Championships and going CRAZY on Franklin Street
- College Football and tailgating parties
- Cheap outdoor summer concerts at Time Warner stadium
- Teaching? (yes, it is that bad where I am teaching at the moment)
- The girls at South Smithfield Elementary and Kelly
- Free flights with Delta
- Cheap fuel
- Trader Joe’s (can I cry now)
- Costco – Best salmon burgers bar none
- Harris Teeter (just quietly who misses supermarkets?? They are that good)
- Whole foods lunch buffet
- Carolina Ale House and our free deserts on our birthdays
- Chapel Hill – Best college town in America
- Road Trippping with endless interstate highways
- Presidential Speeches taking over the TV on American Idol Grand final night (who the hell won?) (ugh… not really miss that one)
- Raleigh and Durham Beerfests …all you can drink for 4 hours woot woot
- Marbles and Monkey Joe’s (Kalyra’s favorite kids venues)
- Miss Maria (OMG do we all miss you, Kalyra’s best at home child care provider)
- Excellent mobile phone service and plans
- IHOP – Great on a hangover
- A Police Force that has power and is respected
- Free wi-fi in cafes, pubs, supermarkets, hell even whole towns sometimes
- Endless Sports Bars with hundreds of TV’s and HUGE Nachos
- The whole Fall and Christmas party season ( Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year… months of non-stop partying)
- Large Meal portions (more Craig than my waistline)
- $5 bottles of good wine
- Bagels with cream cheese from Breugger’s Bagels
- Starbucks on every corner (yes, we like it).
- Central heating
- Charming Southern homes
- Brewed coffee
- Smores
- The home of Mickey Mouse
- Automatic ice makers in every refrigerator
- Everyone has EFTPOS (pay by debit card)
- Drinking is legal at the beach (with no drama)
- Brad Pitt lives there 🙂
