Final thoughts

I've spent the last two weeks gushing about how pretty Croatia is, how I learned so much, how I think I can finally hold up my end of a conversation about Balkan politics and the wars US forces fought there a generation ago. The land is very pretty, Dubrovnik is magnificent, but I think what I take away more than anything else is an appreciation for what we were fortunate to have in our nation. Two hundred and ten years ago, we were the new nation - twenty years out from independence and a war and we had leaders like Adams and Jefferson fighting for the Presidency, Madison and Monroe designing our government, John Jay on the judiciary, Hamilton designing the Treasury. Lots of different things contributed to American success but I do hope the Croatian people find a similar leader in their near future. They have so many neat natural sites to share with humanity, so much history to preserve. I look forward to watching them and I am very glad I had an opportunity to visit their developing nation.