Let Freedom Ring

Happy Fifth-O-July everybodys...Yesterday, to celebrate the independence of this great country, I:

1) went on a blind brunch date. yikes. (note to self: never, ever agree to a blind date before noon. ever.)
2) took a nap (to recover from No. 1)
3) went to a 4th party with the lovely anna-banana at an AMAZING apartment: 38th floor, 25th and Madison, perfect view of the East River fireworks display. It was my first viewing of the NYC fireworks, and I have to say I was quite impressed -- they definitely lived up to my DC standards. Sitting there, looking out over the beautiful New York skyline, fireworks lighting up the night-sky, I reflected on my last 4th (I like to play this game: the "where was I exactly one year ago from today and how much has my life changed?" game). My life really hasn't changed too drastically, which is quite something for the girl who moves every five minutes -- I mean I have the same job, and the same apartment, in the same city....But I was in a completely and totally different setting last 4th...and then I realized, I have been in a completely and totally different setting for EVERY 4th of July the last six or seven years. It is interesting to think about how much my life has changed over the years:

2006: Vail, Colorado, on vacation with my daddi-o (residence at the time: NYC)
2005: Solvang, California with my dear friend, Dillon: we were in the middle of a three week long road trip, and stopped to visit another friend on our way down the CA coast (residence at the time: Ann Arbor, Michigan)
2004: Somewhere around Windsor, Ontario: a boy and I drove from Detroit to the land of Canucks to visit some of his friends. Fireworks and patriotism were not involved, but it was still a fun time none the less (residence: Redford, Michigan)
2003: Lakeside, Montana, post SBS: I was in the middle of recording my album and we decided to take a break from the studio and head "downtown" to watch the townies light sparklers in the street (residence: Lakeside, Montana)
2002: The ER, New York, NY: My brother, sister-in-law and I decided we would spend the 4th in the Big Apple, but as we were heading toward the river to catch the show, my brother suddenly got violently ill. So ill that we had to call an ambulance. He ended up being fine, but it was a scary and crazy night. We got a good story out of it though :) (residence: temporarily in Northern VA with the fam, but was soon heading back to MT)
2001: Washington, D.C. with my sweet Erin and her new YWAM friends: this was the moment when I decided to go to Montana (residence: Virginia Beach, VA)

Ah, the memories...wonder where July 4, 2008 will take me.