I Don't Miss a Beat...Just Notes

Identity is a million dollar world in my life right now. I mean I'm on a 40 day journey attempting to "rediscover america" while, according to Erikson, I should be seeking my own personal identity. At each stop that we've been to, we try to grasp what we can of either the identity a city is selling or if we are lucky an authentic view. Seattle was no different. We came into Seattle with several pre-concieved adjectives--progressive, green, fishy. And left with some interesting questions...
One of the highlights of the day was the underground tour. What began as a corny pun-infested tourist trap, turned into a very insightful cultural experience. Diedrick our second tour guide was quircky, witty, and not aftraid to tell the whole story. Instead of the somewhat idealistic view of history that we got at the Alamo, Graceland, and Clinton Library, Diedrick told us about the ugly side of Seatle's orgins--mainly its poor urban planning. Seattle was usually the butt of most of his jokes which made him seem refreshingly credible.
As I thought about the day, I couldn't help but compare it to the Navojo reservation. I think it is safe to say that the Silversmith family on the Navajo reservation were some of the most genuine and impactful people we have met thus far. And what stuck out to me about them was the pride in which they regarded their culture, their land, the ribbons they won at the fair, the food they ate, even their dark past. The sense of ownership mixed with immense pride was somehting that I found myself envying. So here we have two similar but rather different cases of individuals who embrace their past and culture in a very authentic way--one slightly more cynical but both very refreshing and hopeful.
I've been thinking a lot about my identity as an american and a person lately. Living on a bus with 11 other people leaves no space, privacy, or time for facades. Its revealed a lot of things about myself that I didn't necessarily know--some good and some not so encouraging. Just like Seattle, Nashville, and America I have a package that I sell to those around me that isn't necessarily the whole story. Whoever I am as a girl and America is at a nation I want to BE without apologies or pretenses in the way we saw exemplified in Seattle and with the Navajo especially.
Tomorrow we begin our National Park sequence with Glacier, Yellowstone, and Mt. Rushmore. Stay tuned if their is a gap in posting, we aren't sure whether we will have internet or not.