I love the summer, so naturally the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a day Americans come together to enjoy the best food, company, and activities summer has to offer and celebrate our great nation.
A typical 4th of July for my family includes a backyard barbecue with hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, watermelon, cold beer, s’mores, and of course fireworks. Maybe there will be some running though sprinklers, a swim in the pool, a backyard game, and sparklers.
And when you live in a small town or community, there are lots of activities to participate in as a family. This year my family will be dressing in our most patriotic clothes and walking in our neighborhood 4th of July parade. It will be so fun to see our friends and neighbors walking beside us all waving our American flags, talking, and enjoying a day off to relax with family.
We’ll head home for a BBQ, then watch the neighborhood firework show at night. Fireworks are probably my favorite part of celebrating the 4th of July. Most cities across the country go all out with amazing firework displays. It’s a dazzling ode to our beautiful county and the freedom we all enjoy here.
After I returned to the US after living abroad, I love celebrating the 4th of July here even more. It seems counterintuitive, but living abroad in Australia for over three years made me more patriotic than I was before I moved there. I learned a lot about Australia and grew to love that country too, but my American pride grew stronger than I imagined while I was away.
In Australia, I was always very proud to announce to people that I was American. I’d wear patriotic clothes whenever possible, I’d seek out American foods, stores, and friends. It’s like the saying goes, absence makes your heart grow fonder.
I’m planning to watch one of my all-time favorite movies The Sandlot tonight to get me in the spirit for tomorrow. Baseball, goofy kids, lifeguards, fireworks – it doesn’t get more American than that! 😉
How do you plan to celebrate tomorrow? Do you have any favorite family traditions?
Happy 4th of July!