Well, easy for some, not so for the others! But it is high time for the geographically challenged to visit USA, for me a wondrous place, that after USSR has opened the borders took suc interest in Russia, and thanks to a school exchange, allowed me to meet my best friends Partons, from Acton, MA. I first went there when the iron curtain has just been lifted, I remember when I saw my face in the USA Today, yeah I am a published scrapper I remember a youth in New York with a knife against my tummy, and all my friends terrified, and me not aware of the situation, because I had my glasses off and was hand rewinding film in the camera, but most of all I remember being frightened to see so many smiling faces in the streets, not what you expected to see after years of propaganda! I think I should go and do a "journalling LO", what inspires you in America, before you do a LO, leave a few words here to share what you find inspiring in USA!

For me it is of course the Statue of Liberty, but also cherry blossom in Boston, fall and the golden leaves in Maryland, and all of New England. Chipmunks, ice-cream, friends, and Acton-Boxborough Junior High School!

But this is for me, what does it for you?!

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Olga
My Gallery,

Hi Olga! Imagine my surprise to find you HERE! Not too far away from my quote challenge, but a surprise never-the-less. I was just enjoying your little blurb here, and find it so interesting! I would love to see a LO of your feelings about the world on the other side of the "Iron Curtain". It must have been a culture shock, indeed! How scary it must have been to have someone hold a knife on you! I have lived here all my life, and thank God, have not ever encountered that type of situation! Let me know if you post a LO regarding your view of the world after freedom. We tend to take so many things for granted here, it is refreshing to see other peoples views on what is, for us, just a part of life.

What inspires me? The beauty of the mountains (anywhere), the Grand Canyon, the Cherry Blossoms in Washington State, the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, the ocean and our beautiful, wild forests...actually nature, in all her various forms and splendor!

Sharon

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MamaDuck
Design Team Member @

inkpaperscissors.net (not a commercial site)
Moderator Digital Scrapping

Wow! You have set a bigger challenge than you might imagine. The US is made up of so many different things! Different regional cultures, different ethnic cultures, different religious cultures, different landscapes, different politics and different people. We are so many different things, yet the one thing we ALL are is American! And damn proud of it, too!! We fuss, we fight, we disagree - but we come together in a heartbeat when the occasion arises. We are one of the very few nations in the world where you can be FROM anywhere and still be American. If you're not from China, then you'll never really be Chinese. If you're not from Lebanon, then you'll never really be Lebanese. But you can be from China or from Lebanon and really be an American. God bless the USA!!

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Did you know that I blog? Gypsy Gold Studio

Yikes this is a hard challange! There is so much about my country that inspires me! Lakes, beaches, ocean, mountains, desserts, forests, the people, the freedoms, movie popocorn, blue line highways, diners, corn oh my this is going to be very hard!
Diana

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From a non-American point of view, just hearing the words "red white and blue" to me sums up America (depsite the fact that our flag is made from the same colours!) so the American flag is probably th one thing that means America to me - stars n stripes, red white n blue!
However, I love the diverstiy of the landscape of the States - I've only been over the Atlantic twice (once to Niagara (both Candian and American sides) and then dirving down to New York) and once to North Carolina) and still want more!
So I really don't know what to do for this LO - gonna have to think about it a bit more!

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Well, I am glad it stirred some reaction, AND I really want to see how many different things can be expired by one place on our planet, (Ok even a massive huge place) I am sure we will be back to America for more, I even think we should choose a surprise stop a smaller place but in America, but that will be next week, as for now, diversity, should be our key word then. I have memories I would like to scrap, Please nag me later in the week if I still haven't posted!

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Olga
My Gallery,

This is going to be tough! I would have to say that the USA is such a large place, and I sure haven't even seen 1/5 of it; but I am so PROUD to be an American and now I'll have to figure out how to do that on a layout.

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Victoria

WOW Olga, now this sure is going to be a challenge ... America to me, has always been a bit of an enigma, in all her shapes and forms. I remember, after 9/11, buying a USA mini-flag, which I had on my desk at the office, and when people asked, I replied "because what they have to go through now, is just wrong, on so many levels" ...

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marianne