The Election.

I've been at a loss for words for a while now. Last night, in front of the White House, a reporter asked me and my friends what it would mean for us as young women to have the first female president elected. We talked about gender equality and how for the first time in our lives, we would know that we lived in a country where we could be whatever (or whoever) we wanted to be. We talked about how inspired we felt by Hillary Clinton and that seeing such a strong, female figure encouraged us to follow suit. That was at 11:30 PM. We held onto hope. We said all the votes haven't been counted yet and that there'd be a recount. We naively insisted that this wasn't possible; a Trump presidency wasn't possible. 
This morning I woke up and I wasn't sure how to feel. Today was supposed to be a special day. I didn't just vote for a female to be president, I voted for Hillary Clinton (something I've been trying to do since the '08 primaries), and I was going to watch her become 45. But today is not a happy day. As I sit here, waiting to watch the concession speech from the woman who I thought could do anything she set her mind to, I am overwhelmed with a sadness for our country. I don't know what will happen in these next four years. I feel a disconnect with my fellow Americans who thought that it was okay to appoint a man who has sexually assaulted women and promoted extreme hatred for minorities into the highest office. I am so sorry to all my friends who now feel unsafe in the country we call home. My grandparents came to this country to have a better future for themselves and their families, and now it upsets me that others may not get the same opportunity. 
That being said, we must all hold strong. Four years isn't an eternity, and we will make it through this together. There will be more elections and we will show up to show the world that Trump's America isn't our America. We will mourn, we will heal and together we will win back our country. Sending love to all.