Knowing I had a seated ticket to the Inauguration (thanks to my uncle, Doug Lamborn, a congressman from Colorado), I had been waiting for this day for weeks.

Beginning with the crowded Metro ride into D.C. early that morning, I could feel the excitement everywhere. It was amazing to see so many people all so happy to be there. Once we got near the Capitol, the anticipation of the event was almost overwhelming. Everywhere I looked there was a sea of people.

When I finally got to my seat and the ceremony grew close, the spontaneous chant of “OBAMA” rolled in waves seemingly miles from behind me to the front of the stage where I was sitting. Once he had completed the oath, I started to realize how special this moment was in U.S. history. Part of this realization came from when I got to tour the Capitol building the day earlier with my uncle. Seeing all of the monuments of past presidents as well as where the Senate and Congress make many important decisions put this moment into perspective.

Seeing Barack Obama become the 44th president of the United States was, arguably, one of the most important moments in U.S. history as well as my life thus far.