Oui, nous pouvons!

I recently spoke with a friend via Facebook who is living and studying in France for the semester. She's been away for close to a month now. I asked her what it was like to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama from another country.

She said she felt something she hasn't felt for a while...pride in her country.

"I think I felt more emotional about it because I was in France...I am so proud to call Obama my president, I kind of feel like an ambassador of our new Obamified nation," she said.

She said in the days leading up to January 20th that Obama's face was plastered on almost every newspaper and magazine cover, and that she's hopeful the new president can improve our strained foreign relations with with France and the world.

"I didn't watch the inauguration speech itself with many French people, except for a few of my professors, and they seemed really amused by us. A bunch of us were crammed into the only office in the building that had working speakers so we could watch the live feed on CNN.com. I think the French were more interested in OUR interest in the speech than they were in the actual inauguration, but there is definitely a huge air of excitement about Obama here."

Based on my friend's account, it looks like Obama has the whole world saying "Yes We Can!" in just about every lanuguage there is.

America, The Beautiful

Last week I saw America.

The 6:40AM train took me from the luxury brownstones of Boston to the run down, boarded up duplexes of Baltimore. I must say I was surprised and even saddened to see people in the United States living in these conditions. Yet, after 4 days at my destination (Washington, DC) my hope and faith in my country was restored.

I traveled to the nation's capital with a group of Emerson journalism students to cover the Inauguration of Barack Obama. We all bonded through the long hours and freezing cold temperatures on the streets of DC with little food and even less sleep.

I stood on the National Mall on the frigid Inaugural morning by the Washington Monument with my 2 friends and colleagues Ryan and Valeria. We were joined by another 2 million people who had come from miles around and from all walks of life to witness history in person. Everyone shared in the same hopeful spirit of the day. We all knew things were going to be better, that change had indeed come to America.

The crowds were peaceful. Over 2 million people had flooded the city and there was not a single arrest! How remarkable to think that a nation focused on a common goal can achieve such a feat. This is what I see in America's future: I see cooperation between different people striving to help one another succeed. I see average citizens setting their political differences aside to help move America forward. I can only hope our political leaders can put aside childish things and see the renewed optimism and hope the American people still hold for their country.

On my way home to Boston on the 7:25AM train (which is another story in and of itself) I felt better knowing that I had truly seen America that week.

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage." - President Barack Obama