Free at last!

I took a break from blogging.  A week's break.  I followed the events here in Egypt on TV and on the net, but I could not blog about them.  I was on a kind of survival-mode autopilot.  I slept a maximum of 2 hours at a time and in a 24 hour period I probably got 5 hours of sleep maximum.  I was exhausted, wracked with anxiety, sometimes downright scared to death, and all in all just managed to breathe in enough oxygen to survive. And in that week, Egypt--and I--have been profoundly changed.

About me--well that's not important and certainly not now.  What is important is that This Country has gone from, basically, slavery to emancipation.  I'll have a lot more to say later.

But for now, I dedicate this to Egyptians everywhere, especially to my family--my courageous husband who always gave me something to smile about in the darkest days, and to my amazing children who are half-Egyptian--and their spouses--who checked on me every day and were willing to travel here to take us home if necessary, to my wonderful and brave expat friends here who stuck it out, to my beloved co-workers and students who have always shown me the grace, enthusiasm and acceptance of people here, and most importantly, to the MARTYRS who sacrificed their lives for this change. My deepest respect and love to you all.

Opposition supporters gather round a shrine for victims of the riots in Tahrir Square in Cairo February 12, 2011. Egyptians woke to a new dawn on Saturday after 30 years of autocratic rule under Hosni Mubarak, full of hope after achieving almost unthinkable change, with the army in charge and an uncertain future ahead.

Roses lay on the list of Egyptians killed since the anti-Mubarak revolt displayed in Cairo's Tahrir square on February 12, 2011, a day after President Hosni Mubarak's ouster from 30 years in power.