O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

I don't always give the US the credit it's due, so in honor of her birthday, these are some of the things I appreciate most about my home country:

• Diversity. It's often one of the first things I notice when I touch down in the US.  I love that we are a country that is full of diversity in our ethnicity, language, culture, landscape, climate, and opinions. 
• Generosity. For all the bad press about greedy banks and selfish attitudes, I think Americans are on the whole a very generous population. When crises arise- be it next door or across the world- we are quick to send aid or lend a helping hand. 
• Cleanliness. From tap water to city streets to daily showers, few nations have such a strong sense of cleanliness and I very much appreciate it. 
• Freedom. Having lived and traveled in countries where your words and actions are more closely monitored and regulated, where freedom of speech and freedom of the press are still not a reality, it's nice to know that here, while you may be fired or hated for saying certain things, you're not going to be arrested for it and while your political or religious views may be unpopular, they won't put you or your family in danger.  
• Organization.  If the USA had a Myers-Briggs personality type, she would be a J. Argentina and Thailand would be P's.  And my love for the US's J-ness is not just because I am a J. Try to accomplish anything, especially something official, in a P country and you too will love the smoothness with which many things can be accomplished here.  (Actually, now that I think about it, the US would probably be an ENTJ)

Happy Birthday, USA!