We need your faith and hostility to be certain of change.

I will always remember where I was on the night that finally made me proud to be an American.

I was running to catch the free shuttle from SFSU to the Daly City Bart with two bottles of champagne and a giant bottle of whiskey clanging around in a plastic bag.
The champagne was for victory, the whiskey was there to help allay my worst fear: defeat.
When I did manage to get a seat on the shuttle, it was just in time to hear the driver's radio announce that Barack Obama had just become the 44th President of the United States of America.

I hurried to Cassie's house to find out that it was true!
And we sat and drank pink champagne as we called and texted everyone we knew who'd be just as thrilled and amazed as we were.
The entire broadcast felt like a dream.
I couldn't believe that the America I'd come to know and loathe would elect a man that I have so much faith in.
But we did.
Yes we did.

I am ridiculously happy and excited.
And I don't even mind all of the staunch McCain supporters bitching and moaning.
In fact, I take it as a good sign.
What their complaining means is that this country is a different one today than it has been for the past 8 years.
And while the latest regime has taken us to staggering lows, I believe that our new President will be able to truly CHANGE things in the next four years.
Obama is a man I trust to improve America.
He will hopefully be the man who will restore my faith in my country and help convince the rest of the world that we're not all bad, really.

Barack Obama is one hell of an inspiration.
To see a black man be elected President of a country founded on and supported by racism is just such a fantastic change.
I'm so eager to see where America will go from here.
I'm sure once we've all recovered from our post-celebration hangovers America will be a more engaged, more involved, more hopeful place.
And in this way, we can change.

"Our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared."
Yes we can.