… I stirred from sleep this morning, motivated more by thirst caused by the stifling warmth of our Krakow apartment than by a need to get an update on the U.S. election. But after a satisfying drink from the water bottle beside my bed, I tapped a key on the computer and woke it up. The page was set to CNN and refreshed.

When I fell asleep shortly after midnight here, polls were just closing in the East Coast states. I was too tired to wait up so I happened to awaken at just the right hour. In moments some key states would finish and others would be reporting. After watching streaming msnbc.com for about an hour it was clear Obama had won Pennsylvania and, likely, the election.

With a full day of teaching ahead of her, Sylwia was still asleep, but I knew she needed to be a part of this. A few minutes later, the newscasters called the presidency for Obama and went to a live shot of thousands of people cheering in Grant Park in Chicago. I unplugged the headphones and let the sounds of cheers fill the room.

Sylwia stirred and I went to her and told her Obama had done it. We hugged and then turned on the television and watched for the next two hours as people celebrated, McCain conceded and Obama accepted the nation’s invitation to be the next president.

Then we fell asleep. A deep, satisfying sleep.

We awoke to a new day. A great day for America and the world.