It has been a full 24 hours since Obama has been sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. As the day began for me at 4AM and ended at 6:30PM I was able to experience many things. I was able to know what walking around for 10+ hours in single digit temperatures felt like. I was able to capture images on my camera that I will truly treasure for the rest of my life. I was able to share something with other people where for once it did not matter whether you were black or white, young or old, man or woman, religious or non-religious, but that for one day we were all united together, we were all Americans. Looking back on the whole day it was quite the adventure. There were times where I questioned ever coming to the event whether it be for the cold or the crowds. It wasn't until I finally got home that it was able to sink in what I had gone through and that I would remember this day for the rest of my life.

The day of Obama's inauguration was one of the longest days of my life. We got up early so we could catch the first trains that began running to get into the city, but had to wait until 8 AM before they would even open the security lines at the Blue Gate so we could stake out a good spot. We were about 50 yards from the Capitol, but we still had to watch the Jumbotron because the bleachers impeded the view. While Obama's inaugural address was not quite what I expected, the ceremony was definitely worth the 5 hour wait in the bitter cold. It was great to see the Clintons, Ted Kennedy, and other leaders of both parties coming together to mark the historic occasion. The memory of the experience is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.

The 3:00 AM wind reduces us to human ice sculptures, but our spirits keep us warm and awake. Among the other 150,000 silver section ticket holders, we wait in a crowd that resembles more of a cattle drive than an actual security line. The miserable cold paired with impatience makes for a very, very long countdown to the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44^th President of the United States of America. Almost 100 people break into the Electric Slide while singing "Move Bush, get out the way, get out the way Bush, get out the way!" Barricades are broken down, people run across the frozen reflecting pool, a sea of waving flags stretches all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. As far as the eye can see, anticipation sweeps the masses. And then President Obama addresses the nation - as 2 million Americans listen in silence.

If anyone had doubts, the Inauguration of President Obama does not mean racism no longer exists in America. The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC is just one example of the racial struggles yet to come. Race is socially constructed, which means we need to change our social constructions to reflect the diversity of the nation, instead of continuing to accept cultural divides. We need not be afraid of discussing the internal and institutional racism of our country, and we must find ways to respectfully address how racism hinders us as an entire people. President Obama symbolizes a step in the right direction, but it will take an effort of all Americans to uproot racism and force an end to oppression. American Indians were systematically and brutally removed from their native land, the land we European conquistadors now call home. We need to use President Obama's civil rights victory as a platform for change. Change we can believe in. But let's not rest our hopes on one man. Let's hold ourselves accountable for real change.

I couldn't get connected to the internet last night ... here goes:

I can't believe our trip is already over! It went by so quickly. Today was a very long and hectic day. I woke up at 3:00 to get to the Metro by 3:30, which went smoothly until I had to transfer to the red line. Once I got to the transfer point, there weren't a lot of people, but the train took forever to get there, so by the time it arrived there were a lot of people waiting. I wasn't even in control of my own body. If I wanted to stop, I couldn't have. People behind everyone else were pushing against everyone in the front. It was ridiculous. But I'm glad I left early - I got a good spot in the security line, and waited three hours to get through security. Once I got through security, it took me about 30 minutes to scope out a good spot. I had a great spot in between the Capitol and the Capitol reflection pool, pretty much in the middle. I was surprised at how long the whole ceremony was- on TV it's a lot different, with the commentary leading up to the actual oath. It took FOREVER for all the senators and congressmen to get seated, and once they did the oath took like a minute, maximum. I really enjoyed Rick Warren's prayer; although he is seen as controversial I think he kept things pretty level-headed. The one thing I didn't enjoy (besides the COLD and waiting) was the fact that everyone booed whenever former President George W. Bush was mentioned or showed up on the jumbotrons. I was disappointed in the level of respect of Americans- I don't agree with Obama's policies, but I applauded and cheered along with everyone else. Overall it was a great experience. I don't know if I'd be willing to wait hours and hours and hours again anytime soon, but I recommend attending an inauguration sometime in your lifetime!