"Happy Obama Day!" is how I was greeted on the phone by one of VSC's subscribers today.  I think it's fitting.  Today our country's 44th president begins his first term, and I can't remember a time when everyone was so excited about something like this.  I'm not much of a political person, and I know that I live in a state that bleeds blue, but there just seems to be something in the air today.  I've never been excited for a new president to take office before, I've never watched an inauguration and I've certainly never choked up at political speeches before.  It's not just that this is an historic day because this country swears into office our first minority president.  Today feels different.  President Obama has inspired this nation towards change and progress in a way I've never experienced before, and so it seemed only fitting that on this special and historic day, everyone turned out to witness it.

Ray planned to head to Champlain's main campus to watch the inauguration on one of the big TVs there, and I decided that sounded better than trying to stream CNN on my computer at work.  As I was leaving my office building I passed another office, there was a sign taped to the door that read "Gone to watch on a BIG TV - Be back when we have a new President".    This certainly set the right tone for the event!

On my walk up Main Street I passed Nector's a local restaurant and bar.  There was a HUGE line outside (at 11:30 am?) and the inside was packed!  The sign on the street read:

I made it up the hill and met Ray at Alumni Auditorium on campus, it was packed with students, faculty and staff; by 11:45 there was standing room only!

We watched the live coverage on ABC.  It was an amazing atmosphere to be in: everyone was quiet and paying attention, the entire room clapped and cheered when the President-Elect made his appearance at the top of the stairs before the start of the ceremony.  As I looked around at the students I knew they had a similar sense that I did, that this was OUR President, the man we all wanted to lead us forward and who, at least on this day, had our undivided support.  Technically this is the first President I've ever elected, and it was likely the first Presidential election most of these students had participated in.

There are three things that I loved most about the inauguration:

• When Obama made his first appearance at the top of the stairs, before he stepped down, he stopped for a very brief second and took a deep breath.  I think we all felt the same way: the magnitude of the moment, the desire to remember it all, and the significance that it was the start of a lot of hard work for everyone.
• I loved that he selected the Lincoln bible to be sworn in with.
• While I later learned that the oath stumble was not his fault, I love that there was pause and correction when our new President took his oath of office.  It made him accessible, and a real person, and I think both his attention to the detail of the oath and how clearly he was living in that moment, meaning those words, shows this country that we have elected an individual who takes this responsibility with the necessary significance that is required to truly help turn this country around.

Once the new President was sworn in the entire room jumped to its feet and applauded.

People cried a little and hugged each other.  I was extremely grateful to get to share this historic experience with my husband.