I can’t believe my year in Germany is coming to an end. I’m headed back to the States at the end of July. It’s going to be sad to leave, but I’m quite looking forward to seeing family and friends.
I had a bit of a taste of America this past week with the visit of our awesome President to my little city. It was amazing. The Dresden newspaper published a list of famous dignitaries and politicians who have visited Dresden in the past. Being in former East Germany, the list was rather small and included such splendid people as Fidel Castro and the president of North Korea… umm, yeah.
A lot has changed since the wall fell though, and this was an great opportunity for Dresden to catch some headlines and show the world just how beautiful it is. Living the life of an ex-Pat on and off since 2006 has been a very interesting experience. When you travel abroad, you expect to gain knowledge and awareness of the new culture you are integrated into, but one of the most valuable insights I have gained is being able to look at my own background and seeing how I perceive my own culture- both its positive and negative aspects.
The morning after Barack Obama won the election was one of the most interesting days I have ever experienced. Despite being cloudy and rainy outside, it felt like an invisible cloud had been lifted within me and my fellow American peers living here abroad. Germans talk about the World Cup soccer championships of 2006 as the first time they can remember feeling like it was ok to be proud to be from Germany. Finally they felt like they were allowed to display their flag and sing their anthem without feeling the constant pressure of bearing the burdens of the mistakes of their ancestors. While not quite as drastic, since Obama has been in office, I’d imagine that all ex-Pats, despite political affiliations, whether in agreement with Obama or not, would probably admit that the climate for an American abroad is infinitely better. For the first time in 8 years, I feel like I don’t have to apologize for a government I never elected in the first place.
I never thought I’d see the day when a city I was living in abroad would throw parties in its squares that included cheerleaders and hot dogs. As Americans, we’re facing all sorts of new challenges and of course the halo that seems to rest on Obama’s head can’t last forever. But even in my corner of the former GDR, he incites ideas of freedom and hope into the hearts of a people who weren’t even allowed to leave their country 20 years earlier.
While not exactly my favorite politician, Bill Clinton had it right when he said, “there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”
