American Girl

I've always LOVED Tom Petty and his song American Girl, but since I have been in Europe I just can't get enough.  I feel like I am finally embracing my "American-ness", which is ironic since this is happening to me at a time when I am not actually living in the USA.  I have always loved other cultures, and have often felt like the United States is lacking in the cultural department.  We have a short history, an odd mix of people, and our lives tend to be centered more around material objects than simply enjoying life experiences.  I often spoke pessimistically about the US and never really thought about the good.  But since I've been away, I have discovered that I really am proud to be from the United States.  Do I sometimes wish I could live in Europe forever?  Of course!  Nevertheless, I do love where I am from and am proud to be a positive representation of the USA to people from other countries.  We are not all dumb, greedy, ignorant, rednecks!!  :)

Meanwhile, I have sucked Alyssa into my obsession for this song, and we now blast it in our dorm room quite frequently.  I also played it on the jukebox at a local pub this evening.  It's surreal hearing a song from my hometown, that I've listened to my whole life, play in a small pub in Vienna, Austria.  :)

Anyway, here are my favorite lyrics to the song:

Well she was an American girl

Raised on promises

She couldn't help thinkin'

That there was a little more to life somewhere else

After all it was a great big world

With lots of places to run to

And if she had to die tryin'

She had one little promise she was gonna keep

(Tom Petty, American Girl)