Election Day

It's near mid afternoon Wednesday here in McMurdo which means it's Tuesday evening back home. That means election day! Even this far away (9,186 miles to be exact courtesy of Google Earth) people are ecstatic over the results to come. As I talk to a good friend of mine, I can't help but think how relieved I am to not be anyone close to the Washington DC Metropolitan area at the moment, yet at the same time, I feel I'm missing out on a possible momentous occasion to celebrate not only as a town or region but as a country in general within the borders of the US...if that makes any sense. It does feel good to be down here though. For one, it feels good to say that I put forth the effort to cast an absentee ballot so that my vote can count whilst I reside on the 7th continent. It also feels good to be able to say I was in Antarctica during the most historical election in our history. Today, being my day off, will be spent keeping a close eye on the polls, celebrating the end of 8 years of embarrassment, celebrating a historic election however the outcome, and celebrating democracy in general. I'll try not to get too drunk though...I have to work tomorrow.