Himno Nacional

It is 11:00 pm. My room doesn’t have a door. Someone nearby is listening to the radio. The Bolivian national anthem is playing on the radio. Many of my friends will laugh at me when they read this, because  you know that I would never admit to being someone who gets goosebumps at the sound of the Star Spangled Banner. Well, I will admit it. I am that person. And it’s not only the Star Spangled Banner.... America the Beautiful and God Bless the USA as well. They move me and make me feel,  dare I say it, “Proud” to be an American. And in the silence of the night, as I am preparing for bed, el Himno Nacional de Bolivia is giving me that same feeling, proud to be an American.... a South American. My ex boyfriend would always correct me for using the phrase “American” to describe someone from the United States, because truthfully we are all Americans. As I study more about Andean worldview and the history of this country I am falling more and more in love with the place and the people that is Bolivia. Sometimes I forget where I am. Sometimes I feel like I could run into an old friend from college in the supermarket if I wanted.  That is , of course, impossible. I am here, in Bolivia. It’s true. I’ve been in this country for over a year of my life. Sometimes it just hits me. I live here. This is my home. The while city in the heart of south America. (Go ahead, listen to our national anthem)