why i hated but now love the 4th of july

truth be told, i've never been a fan of the 4th of july. my deep dislike for the celebration of our independence from the brits most likely stems from my parents' over zealous enthusiasm towards it. oddly enough, my family never tried too hard to immerse themselves in the american culture and way of life, and with the existence of tehrangeles, they've been able to maintain a pretty persian lifestyle within southern california. however, every year around the 4th they felt the need to show they were true believers of the american dream.

i should explain something - persians are always difficult. we are rarely on time and we are more often than not horrible at making plans and when we do, way too many people are involved. fourth of july happenings with my family were always strenuous full day events of setting up at the park, preparing the barbecue along with the persian stews and various other ornate dishes, too many families, the playing of loud persian music and inevitable dancing, the sneaking of alcohol and for a young girl confused by two opposing cultures, an utter embarrassment and testament to the insanity of the family in which she belonged.

my overwhelming 4th of july experiences scarred me to the point that when i was old enough to do so, i made a pact to avoid the celebration altogether. it only makes sense then that i would plan on being out of the country during the event. i succeeded for 3 years. the first year that i managed to avoid it, i spent in the east of france watching blonde redhead at an outdoor music festival with my boyfriend at the time. the only fireworks i was witness to were the ones between us. the next year, i managed to make it out of the country for a gettaway to london/parts of ireland and amesterdam. and well last year, while america was throwing away millions of dollars on legal explosions, i was on a small island off of turkey drinking homemade wine and smoking some sort of mystery tabbaco.

this year i didn't make it out of the country in time, but instead, partook in the most american, celebratory and festive fourth of july events ever.

and you know what? i had the time of my life.

the festivities started on july 2nd and lasted through the 6th. that's five whole days of celebration! five glorious days of amazing adventures with friends.

from here on out, i am a believer.

[details forthcoming, see photos here]