If you take advantage of everything America has to offer, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.

A quote from the first female vice president candidate in the US (representing a major political party), Geraldine Ferraro. So over the weekend, I had an opportunity to travel to Canada, our friendly neighbors to the north. I was visiting our first Canadian Gamma Phi Beta chapter in Toronto, the one that made as us an INTERNATIONAL sorority. First, let me say that Toronto is a very cool city, I have been there before but was reminded that it is a great city for food and culture. Well, as you can imagine, I did stop by a pub while I was there, I know QUITE out of character for me, but I figured what the heck...when in Canada....SIDE STORY, I stayed at this cute little bed and breakfast and between my building, the building where they had the hotel registration and the building next to it, there were FOUR pubs! My sorority sister and I walked up and said we want to go to the hotel bar, the bouncer guy says...LADY there are bars everywhere! NUFF SAID.

Well, we were sitting at the bar, enjoying an adult beverage, my sorority sister was enjoying a PINT as the natives call it and we were chatting with a Canadian, an Irishman and the bartender (no, this isn't the start to a joke). They were asking what we thought of Toronto. And I said, Toronto is very cool, I didn't realize how European the city feels. In the US, you don't really get that feeling. And the bartender said NO, but cities in the states are very unique, you aren't going to find them anywhere else. You can find cities like Toronto everywhere. I don't know if he was just being nice, he was waiting for his tip, but it really did make me stop and think.

American cities are UNIQUE? Well, he is right. Let's just name a few Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston and Las Vegas. Can you think of ANY OTHER country in the world that has five cities that are as unique as these? Now, you KNOW that I am obsessed with France and England and their history, but I have to say, hearing someone say this about our country made me pretty proud.

I did watch the John Adams mini-series on HBO two years ago and it was fascinating to see how our country was founded and the forward thinking minds that shaped our country and we are truly unique. And yes, I agree that our country has had some bad times that many of us would rather forget, our treatment of American Indians, African Americans and Japanese Americans comes to mind immediately. However, there is NOT a country in this world that does not have parts of their history that they would like to forget (well I don't know, I guess the NEUTRAL Swiss probably don't have much). But, I can't imagine that there are many Germans of today that are proud of the Holocaust.

Additionally, there are many things in American politics today that I don't agree with, like our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I have my own opinions about Republicans and Democrats...but guess what? I live in the USA, so I am allowed to have those opinions. So I must say after hearing what that bartender said, I did decide that the states are a pretty good place to live and I can't imagine going somewhere else (unless Jason Statham married me and moved me to Paris, I might be able to handle that).

So, ladies seriously, let me wave my freaky American pride flag for a moment. Despite all of our flaws, we are the land of the free and the home of the brave, let's try to be proud, intelligent and responsible Americans. And for a brief moment be thankful to live here, don't bad-mouth America, work to make it better!

JZRRGRL...OFF soap box again. Cheers and CIAO BELLAS.