{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}
There has always been something strikingly cool to me about the fact that my birthday falls in the same month as that of not only my own country (on the 1st), but of our closest, and technically only, neighbouring nation, America, too.
I'm not American (though I do have some US ancestry by way of relatives who immigrated there from Germany, with one later moving to Canada), but it's impossible to grow up in Canada, especially in recent decades since the invention of things such as radio, TV, and the web, and not be inundated with culture, history, politics, food, companies, and may other elements that hail from south of the 49th.
Though, as I touched on in my fun post The real truth behind 15 Canadian stereotypes last year, I fully realize that this sharing of cultural identity, history and other faucets of society is not always a two-way street and Canadians are, in general, more apt to know about America and its history than the other way around.
Between school, pop culture, the news, my own passion for learning, and other sources, I know quite a lot about America, its people, and its past and can’t help but feel a certain connection with it. Thus I love to celebrate in spirit with my friends from the other side of the vast border that divides our two great nations when their country's birthday rolls around
I've long admired the degree of patriotism that Americans have for their country and though we're often more subdued about our own here in Canada, they're both equally passionate. The States really knows how throw a serious national birthday bash though and I adore that about them. They have a proud, storied history and are keen to celebrate that fact. As a person whose life is so often centered around the past, this is a mindset I can not only get behind, but which I live day in and day out myself.
To help my awesome friends toast the day that commemorate the birth of their mighty nation, today's edition of Flickr Favourites features an enjoyable selection of red, white, and blue images, many of which pertain to this holiday itself and each of which sings with its festive spirit all the same.
While I'm firmly planted on Canadian soil today, I have always wanted to venture forth to celebrate with you on American turf and who knows, maybe next year or another in the relatively near future will present the chance for me to do just that.
Happy Independence Day, my lovely US friends - may it be a fabulous, sun-kissed, joyful one for each of you!
