God Bless the USA!

What a crazy past couple weeks it has been. I wake up one day and I’m in London complaining about the fact that it’s still warm here despite all the warnings of how this is supposed to be an extremely harsh winter. The next day I find myself in Florence standing in awe of Michelangelo’s masterpiece David. After a few days in Italy I shoot back to London just in time to spend Valentines Day at parliament and an extra long history class. Pack, go to bed, wake up just in time to hop on a bus to a plane to Ireland for a week. Come back to London just in time to have an afternoon’s rest before the beginning of a snowy midterms week the next day. Then four days later back to the airport for an 11 hour flight back to LA for spring break. What do I have to say about that? Well, I’m sick of course. Not enough sleep, plus tons of stress, on top of LA’s pollution and the transfer from a couple weeks of snowy weather to So Cal sun bridged by an 11 hour plane ride breathing everyone’s germs has broken me. Now you know what it takes to bring me down (and if you feel inclined to provide the international travel to do so, please feel free). Not to worry though, I have a girlfriend who is just loving the opportunity to treat me like a helpless three year old. I would be content to just lay on the couch till it all blows over, but she’s constantly there asking if I need orange juice, cough drops, Tylenol, a cold rag for my head, a popsicle, or warm salt water to gargle with? Well, I’m almost back to 100 percent now and am once again enjoying every minute of peace I can pull out of this glorious reprieve. Yes, I’m back in the good old USA for a week, home of large portions, ice and refills, steak that tastes like it came from a cow rather than a donkey and a phenomenon known as iced tea in most restaurants. It was great to see my friends back on campus at Pepperdine. It was nice to see the sunshine again. It was good to be driving on the right side of the road without fearing for your life, willing the cab driver to get back across the yellow line to the left side of the road. But, save for the thrill of seeing Laci again, and nothing could match that, the best thing I have done here is eat. Homemade scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast (yes, she even cooks for me, how awesome is that?), In n Out for lunch, capped off with Outback for diner. It doesn’t matter what else happens during the day when your meals look like that, it will be a good day. I am having the time of my life traveling around Western Europe, taking in things that most people never get to see, and seeing them with my own eyes rather than in an antiquated art book or history channel special. At some level however, I recognize my innate joy at the prospect of coming home to the US has grown with each departure. It’s an incredible experience to take off and see the world, but it’s made my roots stronger. There is not place else I could ever live than the country that bore me. I say now with more passion and vigor than ever before GOD BLESS THE USA!!!