Election updates from across the pond

First, I am happy to say that I will be returning home since Obama was elected the next President of the United States (I would not have been coming back if it went the other way).

I really wished I were back in the U.S. yesterday and I could have volunteered for the election and gone to an election party. I felt like I was missing out a little bit on the biggest Presidential election in a long time. I was thinking about how this is the second Presidential election that I've voted in and both times I've been out of my home state and had to vote absentee. Last time I was at school at Miami U. and now I'm in London and not even in the U.S.

The election was big news here. They had been talking about it in the news and in the papers every day recently. People at work have been asking me about it, as well as my flatmates. I read in Tuesday's paper that there were lots of election parties at (mainly American) bars and restaurants and a big one at the U.S. Embassy. Some of them costing a lot to get into. I didn't go to any parties, but watched the coverage from my flat along with my Italian flatmate who was really interested in the election as well. It didn't start until around 11.30 here and they didn't report any results until after midnight. I kept track of who was winning each state and stayed up until a little after 3am when they announced the results from Iowa. I was so happy that we went for Obama, especially after going Bush in 2004.

When I went to bed I was pretty sure the news would be good and then around 4am I got a call from Dad saying that it was official, Obama had been declaired the winner! I got up and turned on the TV to see it for myself. I was hoping to catch some of Obama's speech, but the TV anchors were just talking about how the excitement won't last very long and he will have a lot of problems to sort out and things to work on. I went back to bed and soon after got a text from Elyse. She wrote "We did it! You can be happy when you wake up. WE DID IT!" I am very happy (and so are the people over here) and I feel better about saying I'm American now. Also, I've met the next President of the United States, Barak Obama!!!

One more thing, thank you so much to everyone who has sent me a card! I really love getting them at my flat and I have them all hanging up on my wall over my bed.