Nov
25
America Resurrected
6 Comments
After two and a half years of self-imposed exile, it was time to make a grand (re)entrance to my country of birth. I must confess to being nervous and unsure of whether or not it was even worth the trip, after all I had left behind, given up and sold off… Landing groggy eyed at Newark airport en route from Frankfurt, my first order of business was getting some authentic (American) Mexican food in my system, so I opted for a yummy Currito burrito apparently without borders but most definitely with extra guacamole… That impulse satiated, my next purchase was a deliciously thick New York Times newspaper to tide me over the endless hours of layovers and flight to Phoenix still ahead… On the plane I was lucky enough to score one of those back row seats, you know the ones where the seat doesn’t even recline and you’re ”conveniently” located right next to the bathrooms and wish you had thought to bring some potpourri on the plane? The only thing that made my flight bearable was striking up a conversation with a former NYC trader turned entrepreneur, just a few years my senior. Like me, having had to make a sudden career change in the wake of the collapse of his former employer, he made the best of it and started a newsletter for professional investors called The Daily Dirtnap. Jared shared some great ideas with me that I hope I can apply in the future with my business(es) of the kind you can’t get in a classroom or working for dipshits. What I really liked about him is that aside from also being originally from the West Coast (read = easygoing), he obviously knows how to work hard AND party hard… I shared some tips with him about the best way to arrange a stay on Ibiza and he let me in on a sweet new electro club called Cielo in Manhattan. It was definitely a meeting of the minds and a nice way to start off the trip.
While the US has certainly been hit hard by the recession (statistically much harder than Europe), strangely the mindset of the people seems to be affected much less. Yes, casual conversation will inevitably result in a mention of jobs lost and dreams ruined, but the American way is optimism and humor, even in or perhaps especially in the face of adversity. A lesson not lost on me in relation to Slovenia where somehow everything seems even more dire than it need be… THIS is what makes America great, not money not Hollywood not malls and not fake breasts but the absolute belief that a brighter tomorrow is just around the corner… what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger… and opportunities are everywhere… While most Americans are worried sheepishly about what’s around the corner and for President Obama to turn on the spending green light again, the smart ones are quietly making investments indeflated assets like real estate, which in Arizona alone has fallen 30% in just one year’s time.
And so it is with me, disappointed and humbled though I may be by this brutal year and a string of former employers and clients who owe me money and have yet to make good on their responsibilities, I vow to never give up, to never look back, to never fail to believe in myself, because this is the American way and even though my new moniker may be ”Euro boy” and my guy friends here may laugh at my ”skinny jeans” while my female friends marvel at the weight I’ve lost, I am still as American as they come deep in my soul and as stubborn and determined as ever to attain my vision of living life to the fullest on MY terms. In NYC, Ljubljana, Shanghai, Capetown, Rio de Janeiro or wherever else I may end up… Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for the love America!
