Happy 4th of July 2011!!

For the 6th year in a row, I am spending the 4th of July in Chile. Kind of hard to believe it has been that long and somehow, between moving back home for my last year of college and coming back to Chile married, I have always been in Chile for the month of July.

We were hoping that we would have already been moved back to the U.S. for this year's celebration....but here I am, freezing cold on Monday morning before work, with absolutely no plans to celebrate this year. It's not to be unpatriotic or anything, but because that is just the circumstances of this year. It isn't a holiday here and for some reason, the US Embassy decided not to do their traditional Flag Raising Ceremony on the Embassy grounds. I have gone 3 times over the past six years to the Embassy for this celebration, and I really appreciate that event. I am bummed they didn't do it this year. (They did put on a different celebration together with a gringo bar here, and I'll have a different post about that.)

I pretty much have forgotten what the Fourth of July is like in the U.S. I hope that next year we can celebrate big time so Christian can experience what it's like. I now feel like fireworks are more for New Years in Viña than for the 4th of July--which is totally a sign I have been living in Chile a little too long. Don't get me wrong, I love Chile and I especially love the New Year's celebration and the fact it is summer for New Years (but not the fact it is summer for Christmas). But I am honestly excited for a (vegetarian) BBQ and fireworks and hot weather for the Fourth in 2012.

Anyway....all of this to say one simple thing: Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow compatriots! I hope everyone back home has a safe and fun long-weekend celebration and for all my gringo friends here in Chile, cheers to you all!

P.S. Pictures from the 2009 celebration at the U.S. Embassy