As you might expect, my travels to other countries (mainly Kenya this summer and England two summers ago) have made me appreciate my home country in a new way, but maybe not in the way you would expect. Sure, every time I step under a hot shower or wash my clothes in a washer and dryer, I appreciate it a little more that I used to, but honestly, those weren't the things I missed most while I was in Kenya. I could live without those things, but the following is a list of American blessings that would be a bit harder to give up.
1. I am grateful to live in a country where I can trust the police. True, America isn't totally without corruption, but it is significant that when we hear about a politician or a police officer taking bribes, it is big news rather than something you would expect from public officials. We are lucky to have a police force (and a government and a military) that do their jobs honorably.
2. I am grateful to live in a country where being a practicing religious person isn't totally incongruous with being a well-educated white person. Yes, there are people like me all over Europe, but it is such a small percentage that telling someone you go to church for three hours every Sunday will certainly get an eyebrow raise from most people. The United States is by far the most religious developed country in the world, and though clashing religious beliefs can sometimes cause problems, overall I am grateful for that.
3. I am grateful to live in a country where I can get easily accessible, reasonably priced fresh fruits and vegetables. OK, so this one is a bit more shallow and not necessarily unique to America, but after living off of cheap, processed carbs and greasy meat for three weeks in Kenya (and noticing the contrast in how I felt), I am really grateful for American grocery stores.
4. (the might be the biggest one) I am grateful to live in a country where, as a woman, I have the rights and the resources to decide my own fate. Sure sexism still exists in the US, but nobody thinks I belong to my father or my husband. No one can purchase me with cows (yes, we did get a couple of offers). Not only do I get to choose whom I marry and when I marry, but I get to choose a lot of other things about my life, too. I am unbelievably grateful for this.
5. I am grateful to live in a country where I can get a good college education at a reasonable price. OK, so tuition costs has definitely gotten out of hand across the country as a whole, but that doesn't change the fact that American universities (especially the top ones) are considered among the best in the world. The accessibility of secondary education is a great blessing we have.
6. I am grateful to live in a country where people are loud and outspoken and we're fine with it. If you ever go to another country (especially England), you will realize just how loud you and your friends are. Americans make a lot of noise, and most of the time I love that. I love not feeling like I have to lower my voice or suppress my laughter or be proper all the time. 'Merica!
7. I am grateful to live in a country full of dreamers. The United States might not be the greatest exporter of textiles, but we are the greatest exporter of something much better: ideas. Everywhere you go, you will see American-invented products, American-produced movies and music, and American-expressed ideas. Maybe "The American Dream" doesn't happen for everyone, but it's beautiful that it's called the American dream because that is so indicative of who we are: innovative and full of hope.
8. Finally, I am grateful to live where my family and friends are. Yes, if I grew up somewhere else, my closest family and friends would be somewhere else, too. But they're not. They're in America, and since those relationships are what matter most, I am grateful to be where they are.
God bless America!
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