I Love You, America

The 4th of July has never been one of my favorite holidays, probably because my family rarely celebrated it.  I have always been a Halloween girl, maybe Christmas, but 4th of July just wasn't my thing.  However, this year I got invited to a 3rd of July (many people in Milwaukee celebrate on the 3rd) cookout down by the marina.  It was hard to pass that up.  I have to admit that the traffic and parking were enough to make you want to pull your own teeth out, but once you got past that, the festivities were great.

The marina is really the perfect place to celebrate an event like this.  You're right on the water; the view is gorgeous and the air smells fresh and clean.  The whole park is packed with families cooking hot dogs, playing badminton, flying kites, riding bikes... It's classic, that's what it is.  I met up with a bunch of friends.  We ate burgers on the grill, salads, and mini cheesecakes.  We played bean-bag toss and cribbage.  We took long walks on the docks and lounged on blankets.  It was pleasantly sunny and cool out.

I actually almost didn't stay for fireworks.  I've never been horribly impressed by them, and I thought that leaving early might make the traffic better.  However, my friends convinced me to stay, and I'm really glad I did.  We sat out in a HUGE field with what seemed like the entire city of Milwaukee.  And the fireworks exploded overhead, huge and bright and in all different shapes (I'm not kidding here.  They had hearts and peace signs!).  I felt so small compared to the world, and it was incredible being surrounded by all these people similarly awestruck by the light-show above us.

For most Americans, this is the typical 4th of July celebration.  I wish, though, that I could spend a 4th of July getting to know the historical side of the holiday.  I took a class in college that focused solely on the Revolutionary War and the founding of an independent America.  It may sound nerdy, but I was so so so intrigued by the intricacies of the battles, the politics of the early Americans, and the lives of the Founding Fathers.  I would love to see a historical reenactment sometime around the 4th, perhaps in the years to come.  Or, imagine celebrating the 4th of July in Washington DC or Virginia?  Fun stuff.

This 4th of July also made me remember that I will probably be spending the next two 4ths in the country that we won our independence from.  How strange is that, right?  And a little funny.  They certainly wouldn't celebrate our independence day abroad, so maybe I can gather some American friends and we can have a little party.  Or maybe my American AND British friends can get together for a No-Hard-Feelings-Right? party.  

I follow a lot of British people on Twitter, and there we a handful of funny tweets I want to include here.

My friend Alex (an American): Happy in yo' face King George day!  In remembrance of the day we laid the smackdown on you, we are going to overeat and blow things up.

Queen_UK (not the real Queen, but I wish): Decided, after a great deal of thought, to grant continued independence to America.  They will remain on probation until the end of time.

Lord_Voldemort7: Happy 4th of July, America.  Those sparkly green lights in the sky tonight?  They're not fireworks, they're Dark Marks.  Enjoy your holiday!