NOTE: Even if you have a negative view of President Obama and American politics, this is more about our experience witnessing a historic event in another country with citizens from all over the globe.  It is in no way a political post, so please don’t run away screaming.

We missed many events in our home country while galavanting around the globe for a year.  A few marriages, some kids being born, sporting events, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.  All are things we missed, and all are things we wished we could have been home for.

But this post is not about those missed events.  I am no political guru by any means, and while I have followed and voted in important elections, I have never been really involved in politics.

For those who don’t regularly follow this site, my wife and I went on a year-long RTW trip in 2008-2009.  We left in October, a mere three weeks before the last presidential election.  The first thing that struck us as odd while in Peru, the first country of our trip, was the massive interest in American politics and this particular presidential election.

Whether it was the end of W’s era or the possibility of the US electing its first president of color, the interest in the election was astounding.  Any time someone found out we were American, whether it was other travelers or locals, all they wanted to do was talk to us about politics and the upcoming election.

It was a very humbling thing to witness as even though the 2008 election garnered more interest than any other election I can remember, but by and large the interest back home is appallingly low (at least in regards to people actually getting out to vote).  Here were people who weren’t going to be directly affected (or so we thought) by this election and seemed to be more knowledgeable than many of our own citizens.

We all know what happened in the election, and the conversations continued after Obama won.  Everyone was excited, both American Obama supporters, travelers from all over the globe, and locals we talked to.  Even for those who didn’t vote for Obama or think he’s doing a horrible job, one still has to admit that his election was a historic one not only in America, but in the rest of the world.  While racism is still very much a problem here in the US, I found that we have made great strides as compared to so many other countries.  The importance of the US electing a black President was very important to countries around the world.  No matter what happens with the rest of Obama’s political career, the fact he was the first African American president will be remembered forever.

Fast forward to January 20, 2009, the inauguration date when Obama officially became the 44th President of the United States.  We were in El Calafate, Argentina, a small town in Patagonia, on that day.  We woke up excited and hopeful that we’d be able to watch the inauguration, but we had no idea the impact that day would have.

We didn’t have plans for the day, so we decided to just hunker down in the common area of our hostel and watch the inauguration.  As the time drew closer, we chatted with a few other Americans staying there.  As it began, the common area started getting more and more crowded.  Suddenly we were chatting with a Turkish woman, a few Canadians, and the owners and hostel workers, most of whom were Argentine.

Everyone was interested, everyone wanted to watch, everyone wanted to talk about what was happening.  There was an energy in the air that was completely unexpected, and there was a crowd gathered around the small television in the corner, with everyone glued to what was going on.  People from all over the world, watching an important event going on in my country.  It was an amazing thing to witness, and it was extremely exciting to take part in the interesting and educated conversations going on.

Even though the political scene in this country has taken a predictable turn towards negativity and political power struggles, I love to remember the energy and optimism of that day.  No one knows what the future holds, but that day was one I will never forget.  A room full of a melting pot of global citizens, most in their 20′s and 30′s (with a few in their 50′s), talking and discussing the importance of this one event happening in my country, thousands of miles away, was very powerful.

The whole experience made me realize a few things.

1. How lucky I am to be from the United States. At that point in our trip, we had visited some very poor areas of South America, in both Peru and Bolivia.  Places where many of its citizens struggle to get their daily needs met.  I admit that I often take it for granted that I was born in a country that gives me so many more advantages than many other countries around the world.  Simply because I was lucky to be born here.  I could have just as easily been born in a village in India or Laos.
2. Everyone around the world follows American politics. While we Americans took a beating abroad during 2000-2008, it was amazing to see the quick support and turn around during and after the last election.  We were in Europe following W’s re-election, and we were constantly judged and asked about why “we” voted him in again.  I was amazed the entire year we were gone that so many people were not only interested in, but very knowledgeable about politics in the United States.  If only more Americans were as knowledgeable.
3. We need to educate ourselves about the rest of the world. On the flip side, it really is important for us to start paying more attention to what’s going on abroad.  That was part of the reason for our travels, to see and experience how others in the rest of the world live.  We’re so much more rounded and open-minded now that we have had these experiences, and I just wish more of my fellow countrymen would put more of a premium on international travel and education.  I know not everyone can afford to travel internationally, but everyone can at the very least educate themselves about what’s going on around the world.

It’s funny how what seemed like a regular day upon waking up turned into such an interesting and memorable experience.  Just watching an event like this with such a random cross-section of people was very powerful, and it’s one I will never forget.  It gave us a totally different perspective than if we were at home or work watching the inauguration, and I’m grateful and thankful that I was able to have experienced such a historic event while in the southern reaches of Argentina.

Have you ever witnessed something similar when traveling abroad?  Have you watched a big or historic event happening in your country while traveling or living somewhere else?  I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.