In a small Michigan town - October 9, 2001
Just flew from Seoul to Toronto. My parents drove across the border to get me and bring me back to Michigan. Crossing the border back into USA was difficult. I was question and interrogated extensively about where I'd been and what I was doing. My parents picked me up in the middle of the night, and said that coming across earlier that day they were delayed for hours. Since September 11th, everything has changed here. Everyone gets questioned extensively. I was slightly disappointed, because everytime I've ever come back to America from traveling, the immigration officer always says 'welcome home' and 'good you made it back' as if I'd just come through a war or something. It seemed to me to always have an underlying tone that most Americans presume everything outside of our country is a complete and utter mess, and only America do things go on as they should (come to think about it, they are somewhat right.. hehe). But, anyhow, I did kind of like that welcome back home, but coming home this time kind of had a completely different feel, as if everywhere I'd been had been highly suspect, and I could be guilty of forging my passport, or had some kind of suspect motives for ever had even left my country of birth.
The biggest change about being back in America this time is the amount of flags flying high everywhere. The American people have become extremely patriotic. In the past, maybe due to anti-American sentiment throughout the world, its become quite unfashionable to be proud of being from the greatest country in the world, but now, it would be seen as a spoiled unthankful something-or-another not show your support for your country of birth in such a circumstance. Everything here has completely changed, entirely changed. The place I have arrived in today is nothing like the place I visited a couple months ago for my brother's wedding.
Out West:
October 18, 2001
You can email me at:
Wintermoon2@yahoo.com