A Day to Celebrate.

"What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task."-President Barack Obama

Today I awoke at 4:00 am to watch the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States. I was with a couple other volunteers who also sacraficed sleep to celebrate at the same time as evryone back home as Barack Obama took the oath and became the president who will lead our country for the next 4....(8?)....years. It was a beautiful occassion, and regardless of your own political views, I think we can all agree that today was a monumental day in history. Today marks a day of gradual political change as our leadership transitions to someone with fresh ideas, and energy to move our country forward both domestically and worldwide. I'm excited to see the way foreign relations transform, how social welfare programs evolve, and how we begin to attack the huge economic deficit our country is currently in. For those of you who believe that American politics only affect Americans, I can say without a doubt that even many of the locals in this tiny island in the pacific have made the American election personal to them. Many have been asking questions about who the next presidnt will be, and almost everyone I've spoken with has been excited to see President Obama take office.


Today also marks the day I have been given an official assignment. I've been without work or a permanent home for 2 months as the office worked on developing a new assignment for me. I'll be moving to Lautoka on Monday to do youth development & support with an organization that focuses on alleviating poverty and empowering communities to gain the skills they want/need to support themselves and their families. I'm not sure of all the details, but I'll be sure to fill you in once I am.