Bri and Moorea: Yes We Can.

OBAMA WON OBAMA WON OBAMA WON OBAMA WON!!!!

For the first time in a very long time I am actually proud to be a US citizen. I actually have some hope for the future and things WILL actually change. Obama won. It was so surreal. The whole Gump station went to the Sheraton to their TV to the only way to see CNN. I was part of the late car, so as I walk into the Sheraton, I am not sure how it is going to go. I avoided the polls, the predicitions all day for sheer terror that McCain and PALIN may be ahead. I realized how little faith I had in the people of America. As I turn the corner a friendly face looks at me dead in the eye as I see McCain in the background and the words, "McCain is conceding!!!!!!" We all burst out into cheers and yells and alll ordered drinks at the bar in celebration. We all listened to McCain's very gracious speech and then waited anxiously for Obama to come to that stage in Chicago and address his waiting fans. Seriously, I welled up when he was speaking! It has been so long since I was actually proud to be an American citizen and proud to listen to a government leader. We are not a generation of apathy; we just have had no ability to do anything about our countries situation until now. When given that voice, power, and ability look what we can do!

GO OBAMA!!!!

In other news something that is severely disappointing to me is that prop 8 passed. We have NO RIGHT to dictate how people should live their lives and what makes people happy. DO NOT tell me marriage is a religious institution between a man and a woman. You can get married in Vegas, you can get a MARRIAGE license from city hall without ever stepping foot into a church. The institution is no longer a religious one. I am sorry if it was and non-religious folk had to have a civil union instead of a marriage I would be fine with the distinction, but that is not the case. Gay marriage should be 100% legal and I am very disappointed in California today.

But now to end on a happier note. In celebration (or if it went the other way to drown our sorrows) Caitie, Hayley, Sarah and myself decided to go camping...well kinda. Our original plan was to actually camp, sleep under the stars on the pristine sand however it POURED!! So we decided to hit up the bungalows at the campsite instead. We packed 3 bottles of wine, lots of snacks and sat on the beach and talked the night away. It had stopped raining by that point and we were just sitting looking on at the glass-like lagoon and enjoying the company. We forgot cups, so we were all just drinking the vino straight out of the bottle; we are a classy bunch. Then in the morning we went and sat on the beach again and as we were walking back a French woman says, "you have a new president," we say, "yes obama! (Very enthusiastically with big smiles and arms raised)" and she says, "WE ARE VERY PLEASED", and all of us say that we are too. PEOPLE ALREADY LIKE AMERICANS MORE. It is awesome. I do not have to be ashamed of where I am from. OBAMA WILL MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. And to make it even better we got a ride all the way back from Hauru where we were staying. The guy turned around and took us the other direction that he was going. It was awesome.