Jakarta, Indonesia

President Obama. Those two words together bring tears of joy to my eyes. Not only because he will be an amazing president, but because of this election, I can’t wait to take my next international trip!

Sydney, Australia

I love to meet new people when I’m abroad, and the most frequently asked question I get is “where are you from?” I have received many uncomfortable responses to my answer, as if the person doesn’t really know how to respond, like they feel sorry for me. And can you blame them?

Jerusalem, Israel

I have come up with a standard answer….I’m from the states…but I live in Hawaii…it’s almost 3,000 miles from the rest of the country…we are a very democratic state…I didn’t vote for Bush…we don’t like him either…really…

I’ve even heard stories of Americans who sew red maple leaf patches to their backpacks to make others believe they are Canadian. And I’ve heard stories of those who are treated with utter disrespect abroad for their nationality. This is a big problem. Our reputation as a country is not good.

United States of America

According to travel expert Pauline Frommer, there may be other benefits to Obama’s presidency:

• Family Travel restrictions to Cuba may be lifted
• Travel could get greener. Obama has spoken about breaking America’s addiction to oil, restoring abandoned rails, he’s a strong supporter of Amtrack
• The president elect wants to upgrade our travel control systems which will help fight delays as well as air safety
• As part of the Travel Promotions Act, he will give money to promote the U.S. as a travel destination. Travel is a $740 billion industry and we are losing our piece of the pie!

Manila, Philippines

A new day has dawned on America and we are on the road to healing together as a nation and restoring our relationship with the world. As we embark on our next journey, we are so excited to say we are American. After eight long years, we can be proud of the decision our county made. We are in good hands, my friends. And the world is cheering us on.

Barack's step-grandmother Sarah Obama in Kogelo, Kenya