Fear not, Americans

Yes, I'm going to Germany. Yes, I study German history. Yes, I plan on making my career from understanding another country. But I'm here to set the record straight. This doesn't mean, by any means, that I'm turning my back on the good ol' stars and stripes. Ask me to list my top five favorite countries, and some of you might think I'd list Germany first. You would be dead wrong. America always has been and always will be number one.

You don't have to leave the country to know that the United States of America is a great place. We've got great cities, great landmarks, and great people. Other countries might hate our sports, but if we're honest with ourselves, there's nothing better to do on a fall afternoon than watch college football. March Madness--the reason why March is the second greatest month of the year, just behind December. Tiger Woods? You're welcome, world. Many of you know that I'm a big soccer fan, but there is no denying the greatness of American sports.

Don't get me started on American music. One word for you, world--jazz. No other art form epitomizes coolness like jazz does. I can't say that anything else that can compete with the unmistakable slickness of jazz. It makes you get out of your seat and dance, but it can also help you wind down. Whatever the occasion, jazz fits. And I don't care where I am in the world, I think about America when I think of jazz. I imagine that 10 years of jazz band has stirred a strong penchant for the music, but it undeniably American and an inimitable art.

So many things about America are wonderful: giant Cokes, Kentucky Fried Chicken, John William Ferrell (as seen above), Lupe Fiasco, apple pie, driving on the right side of the road, driving in the left side of the car, Stephen Colbert, hot dog eating contests, Peyton Manning, etc, etc, etc. The list goes on and on and on. Our history might not be as expansive as other countries, but we sure have done some great things. Maybe we didn't invent the printing press, but we put a man on the moon. Maybe we didn't have da Vinci, but we have Edison. No, we don't have Dickens or Goethe or Dostoevsky, but we've got Faulkner and Twain and Whitman. What a country?!

Yea, sure there are issues with our country, but there are issues with every country. America is responsible for things like Lil' Wayne and the Jonas Brothers, but what country hasn't produced something like that? All we can do is learn from our mistakes, Americans. So fear not-- I won't be swapping the red, white and blue for black, red, and gold ever.

Deutsches Wort des Tages:

sternbesäte Fahne -- star spangled banner