Urime Pavaresia

When I stop to think about the events of yesterday, I can hardly wrap my mind around it. This land is free! All of us had the opportunity to be here for a part of history. This land has been fighting for their independence for hundreds of years and now it is finally here. Yesterday the streets were buzzing with excitement. There was loud music in the center of town and plenty of dancing, along with free food and drinks along the streets. We all walked down to the center around twelve o’clock noon and joined in on the excitement. As we walked around, we became less of the “on display” Americans and more of a friend. We found plenty of people both waving or wearing Americans flags and others with their national flag or the flag for this new country. American flags could be seen flying side by side with national flags. There was a stage set up with flags on it and large speakers playing traditional music while young people dressed in traditional outfits danced on the stage. Most of the people found in the center could be seen wearing black and red in celebration. These people were all filled with joy and hope and it could be seen on their faces. Almost every person in the center had a smile on their face and would greet each other with kisses on the cheeks and hugs wishing each other a “Happy Independence!” Most restaurants, coffee shops, and grocery stores were closed for the celebration that lasted all afternoon and evening. Without hesitation, one could say that most of the town’s residents could be found in the center by five o’clock. Around nine o’clock in the evening, fireworks could be seen from the windows and balconies of just about any home in the town. It’s so hard to explain to the full extent of the events of yesterday because it was so much more than a party in the streets; it was an emotional high and a sensory overload. It just blows my mind when I stop and think about how I am now living in the world’s youngest country, a country that was born yesterday. I was here for the birth of a country. This is something that I will always remember and be able to tell my children and grandchildren about. This is something that will go down in the history books and I feel honored that I had the privilege of being here and sharing it with these people. We didn’t think that it was going to happen while we were here because the date of declaration has been pushed back so many times that it was hard to tell when it was going to happen for real. However, on Sunday February 17th at three o’clock in the afternoon, the declaration of independence was made. They are hoping for a quick recognition by other countries such as the United States, Italy and France on Monday the 18th during a meeting held by the UN and so we all await the outcome of these meetings. We are all hoping for the best and for what is right and in the best interest of this country.
~*~ Lakyn P. ~*~