One Year Ago..

...I sat at home and watched in astonishment as the revolution began in Egypt. Day after day, I kept my browser windows open to a live Al Jazeera feed and my once dormant Twitter account. For two weeks, I fell asleep next to my computer and was following the action the next morning before my eyes were completely open.

I couldn't say exactly why I was so drawn to these events on the other side of the world. Having lived in Cairo for nearly a year, I had strong personal relationships with a dozen or so people still in Egypt. I also realized that I was watching history unfold. My idealism gave me the hope that this was the start of something real. And in general, it was just so exciting.

I had almost returned to Egypt a few weeks before the revolution for a job, and when the revolution started, I realized what an opportunity I had missed. For several days, I contemplated flying back in the middle of the action just to bear witness, just as most foreigners were evacuating. The day after I spoke with a good friend who offered me a room in her apartment, the protesters were attacked by men riding horses and camels in a scene lifted from medieval times. I took it as a sign and definitively accepted that return was not an option at that moment.

Now, a year later, I'm back in Cairo. And while the mood cannot possibly be compared to that of a year ago, I'm glad to be here today as I have been for the past eight months. Egypt is changing in ways big and small. An Islamist-dominated parliament was sworn in yesterday. Tomorrow's marches and protests are planned, accepted and expected to be huge. It will be an emotional day for many, as they remember this time last year.

A friend--the same one who offered me a room last January--commented to me months after Mubarak left that she remembers clearly how cold it was during the revolution. Though Egypt is tropical, winter nights can be biting. Tonight is like that--plus ample rain--and I can almost transport myself to a similar night twelve months ago when thousands of brave Egyptians made up their minds to go down to the square.

I walked around Tahrir earlier tonight. It's bustling, as some people set up three large stages (Muslim Brotherhood, Salafist Nour, Revolutionary Youth Coalition), others sold food and revolution trinkets, and many talked and watched and walked. Marches are planned from all over Cairo to convene in Tahrir around midday. Other marches and protest celebrations are planned in other cities around the country. The spirit is celebratory, though there is a touch of regret and frustration with the unfulfilled demands of the revolution. An activist interviewed on television tonight said something to the effect of, we're celebrating the continuing of the revolution. I found that a bit illogical, but it actually seems to be a quite accurate characterization. There is much to celebrate and much to fight for still.

As I fall asleep at 4am, I can hear the chants starting already from Tahrir, some of the same chants that were heard one year ago.