Today

Today is a proud day. It is a historic day. It is a day that has brought tears of joy to my eyes and hope to my heart. Today, America has entered a new era. It marks a euphoric moment as my country embraces change and steps forward to lead once again.

Today, we welcomed our 44th President - Barack Hussein Obama.

Today, the doors of the White House have been thrown open by a new President who promises to listen to us as he goes about the tough business of restoring our nation and its reputation in the world. Equally as important, he is a President who will - if his career thus far is any indication - inspire us to be better and more engaged citizens.

As if it weren't historic enough to have such a transformative figure stepping up to lead us, Barack Obama is also our first black President. The gravity of this moment is breathtaking. What does this mean for the future of American politics? What will our future leaders look like? Will we have a rainbow of representation in another eight years time? This by no means solves the racial disparities that still plague our country but how great a leap forward we have taken today.

Today, I am so much more hopeful that our broken world can be saved. This is a turning point in history. The world is watching us. Change will not come quickly, but I have so much faith that in four (or eight!) years, we will look back, amazed at how different a country America is than it has been for the last eight years. Today is a moment of time I will always remember. The tears streaming down my face as I watched President Obama take his oath, the feeling of solidarity with my fellow Americans, and that hope that has characterized Obama's long run to get here. Oh, that soaring hope. Today has been a very good day.