The Morning After

As we woke up this morning, after a long night of refreshing screens and live CNN video, of reading blogs and polls, of exhaustion and cautious elation, we were greeted by the news that yes, indeed, Barack Obama was (still) the next President of the United States of America. We had tried to stay up (given the four hour time difference) to wait out the final results of both Virginia and Florida, but as stations and websites began reporting (and even the McCain camp admitted) there was no path whatsoever to victory for the Republican candidate, we called it a night. When we woke three hours later, we raced again to the screen to confirm there was no repeat of 2000, that the the results of the night before remained the same. And we exhaled.

Being abroad during what is most likely the most important, significant and historic (although I am loathe to use that word as it was used so frequently last night I couldn't help but roll my eyes) election is a mixed blessing. There are very few people to share in your bliss, just your fellow PCV's, though again given the time difference and the lateness of the results you are typically alone for the duration and unable to celebrate until the following day and although most of the world was anxiously awaiting Obamas victory, there is no substitute for the joy shared among fellow citizens.

But there is great pride in being an American in a foreign country today. We, as PCVs have dedicated two years of our lives to not only help to improve the lives of people in need, but also to share in a cultural exchange. The past eight years, no, the past 200 years in American history have given a strong impression to the rest of the world about the certain aspects of our nation, and no matter how much greatness we have achieved, the cloud of slavery and of racial injustice have colored the world view of America. And today, we can hold our heads high in the knowledge that, while the election of a Black president (although I find it even more significant that our next President is of mixed race) may not signify an end to discrimination or racism or a system of privilege and disadvantage, it signifies our demand for change, our willingness to progress, and our belief in the fundamentals that our country was built on: that anyone can achieve greatness.