Senator Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States. Let's all let that sink in, shall we?

Because I can honestly say as happy as it makes me, I'm still in shock and still afraid to truly believe it's really happening.

And yet that small piece of hope inside me, that has waited and waited for this, that has felt like it was being crushed continually throughout the past eight years, is singing. It's telling me YES, yes, WE DID IT. We can celebrate. We can cheer. We can rejoice because change has come to America. Hope prevailed. The American people are changing. We as a nation are changing and we are headed for great things.

There is so much work to be done in my country, and I am thrilled to be a young woman in America right now. Thrilled that I can help rebuild my country after two wars and a failing economy have brought us to our knees.

Yesterday was the first time I was ever able to vote as I'm only 21.

The first time I got to cast my ballot....I got to cast it for a man I greatly admire and respect, who I truly believe has America's best interests at heart, and who will help shape my country into the amazing, peaceful land of opportunity that it should be.

I am so excited to be a part of this and I can not wait to see what the next four years will bring us under President Barack Obama.