In the morning we go the library to vote.  Standing in the line I remember being excited to vote. Mom signs a few papers and we go into the voting booth. She closes the curtain in the booth. She shows us the 2 buttons. Obama and McCain.  Me and my sister push the Obama button at the same time.

In math I draw a fake ballot on the side of my paper.  During gym I think about what happens if he wins or doesn't win. When the bell finally rang at the end of the day, I ran to my moms car, and after picking up some friends, we took the Green Line to Grant Park.  After getting off I was stunned. There were police everywhere. I could barely move. We went through lots of security and found a spot.I  waited for what felt like  hours while the votes were counted. When Obama won the crowd went crazy. My dad took me off his shoulders and I started to cheer and dance. People all around me did the same.  When he came out to address the crowd, we went crazy again.
Even though he was far away I could see him from my dad’s shoulders and feeling like Obama was 2 feet away.  I remember the moment I realized how historical that night was. Later that night we checked into a hotel and fell asleep watching cartoons. That was one of the best childhood experiences I ever had.

The 2008 rally stands out in my mind because it was an adventure. While I understood the historical importance of the 1st african american president being elected, what I love most about that day was being able to explore the city with my friends and family. At that time, I hadn't been downtown very often and being able to go and experience downtown Chicago for first time was amazing to me. Seeing all those people gather in one spot and all watching history being made awed me.