I Am Still Proud to Be the American I Am: You Can Be Too
With the Fourth of July just days away and America celebrating its 250th anniversary, I felt compelled to write something a little different from my usual travel content. Not a destination guide, not a packing list, but something more personal.
I wrote an essay about American pride. Not the bumper sticker kind, and not the blind allegiance kind either. The honest kind, the kind that comes from having actually seen this country, all 50 states of it, and from having traveled the world and met people from places like Russia, Iran, and Israel along the way.
I wrote it for the people who are still proud, and I wrote it for the people who are not sure they are anymore. I think both groups will find something in it.
The essay is published on Medium and I would love for you to read it and share it if it resonates with you. With everything going on in this country right now, I believe this conversation is worth having.
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Patriotism means loving your country honestly, including its flaws, while blind allegiance means supporting it without question. One makes us better, the other holds us back.
Because those who disagree with us are not the enemy. They are fellow Americans, and choosing to see them as individuals rather than opponents is exactly what this country was built on.
It is a reminder that this country was never meant to be perfect. It was built to evolve, to argue, and to keep moving forward. That resilience is worth celebrating.
