11/11/11 A Significant Day

So unfortunately, unlike I initially wanted, this post is coming a day late. But some days I just can’t get to a computer with computer internet access, as was the case with yesterday.

On a smaller scale, yesterday marked my six month anniversary in country. I didn’t even realize it until a volunteer friend sent me a message of congratulations. It’s pretty crazy to believe that half a year has passed since my arrival to Nicaragua. In a way, time has completely flown by. It literally seems like yesterday, when I was enjoying a good old fashion American burger and Anchor Brewing Company Liberty Ale with my soon-to-be good friend Maclaine. But at the same time I look back at my time here and realize just how much I’ve done, and grown as a person, and think how could only six months have passed? I’ve visited dozens of new places, met many new people and lifelong friends, and experience things I never would have imagined if I had stayed back in the states. And yeah my Spanish is getting good too. It seems like my time here will fly by if it continues at this rate.

But why is today really important you may ask. It’s because today is not only the day the armistice of World War I was signed, but it also marks the day that our country celebrates Veterans Day. As a child I didn’t really understand why this was such a significant day, and was more annoyed that I had to sit through a long, seemingly boring assembly during school. Yesterday, waiting for buses, I had a long time to reflect on what it means to serve one’s country.         

For me, there is no greater, nobler deed than what the men and women of our armed services do. They’re protecting more than just our borders. They’re protecting an ideal; the American Dream and our way of living. And nowadays that’s not something you see to often in our nation. They put themselves out there on the front, protecting our freedoms and rights. As certain aspects of American life seem to be spiraling downhill, the army still remains, as the keeper of what American stands for and means in the world. And for that I have nothing but admiration for the men and women who have served our nation, past and present. It may not mean much, but Thank You.