Election Day!

Happy Election Day! It has been so interesting to experience the last months of the campaigning in Europe. The Europeans are as interested in American politics as the Americans are! They might even be more interested in some cases. They know all the facts, all the issues at stake, and all the stances of each candidate. It's impressive.

I've been attending a Globalization Issues Seminar on Tuesday nights and there are students from all around Europe that are there. They all study at NUIG and Molly and I are the only Americans. The first time we went we did not realize the diversity of the group but as we got to know everyone better, we began to hear the nuances in their accents and learn where they all are from. They are all more up-to-date on their American politics than I probably ever will be on theirs, which is another embarrassing, ignorant American moment. I'm just glad that I can keep up with them when we talk about America, because it would be truly terrible if I didn't have an understanding of my own country.

Anyway, these students all have their own, (very strong) opinions about the next American president. Tonight Molly and I were questioned by one young man who wanted to know how we Americans were feeling on Election Day. Yes, we were excited and dying for news. Yes, the time difference is killing us as we won't know anything until we wake up. And most importantly, yes, we voted by absentee ballot. It was so exciting to be the token USA students in this diverse crowd on this momentous day. I'm a little sad that, in what's shaping up to be one of the most precedent-defying and history-making presidential elections, I'm not in the country to watch and wait. It is really neat to have this perspective, though, and I'll definitely never forget that I was in Ireland during the 2008 elections.

Happy voting, America!