Happy Independence Day! I hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying their celebrations. I’ve just returned from a trip to Great Britain where I visited some amazing estates and gardens. The trip provided a much needed refill for the old creativity tank, but I’m glad to be back on home ground.
When traveling I do a lot of reflecting. It’s really one of the few times when my attention isn’t pulled in 100 directions so there’s space in my mind for thoughts other than “What’s next?” Maybe it’s because it is July 4th or because I was in a foreign country, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what I appreciate most here in the U.S. On my flight home I came up with a list of 10 things that I find inspiring about this country.
- Thomas Jefferson and Monticello
- Our National Parks System
- American farmers
- George Washington and Mt. Vernon
- Arlington National Cemetery
- American ingenuity and the free market system
- Freedom of speech
- PBS and NPR
- American armed services
- Bluegrass music
- American cuisine (I adore fresh blackberry cobbler and homemade ice cream)
- Garrison Keillor
What do you find inspirational about the United States?