I stayed in D.C. a few days after the Women’s March to see all these amazing places I have read about my whole life. Somehow I had never made it to the US Capitol until this month. I always wanted to go, but the travel plans never materialized until now when my heart said, “Go! You have to stand up for everything you believe in, and you have to go to Washington D.C.”

I was making my way over to the Library of Congress to meet my friends, when I saw the Supreme Court building right next to it.  I knew I had to go there instead. Walking inside the marble halls was amazing. You can stand by the opening to the courtroom as long as you want, and I did. The minute I stood still taking it all in, I burst into tears. The emotions flowed through me. The gravity of this space was overwhelming.

This room, those chairs and all the chairs in it changed me, broke my heart open even more. I marched down Pennysyvania Ave up as close to the White House as we could get  a couple days before to stand up for women’s reproductive rights and our freedom to have control over our own bodies. I marched for every woman.  I marched because every  human is legal. I marched because racism has no place in our country. I marched because climate change is real. I marched for my LGBTQ family and friends. Don’t put another white man in that vacant chair that does not stand up for all of us. 

If you ever find yourself in Washington, which I’m sure many of you will go to stand up and resist this new administration, because they are bat-shit crazy. Be sure to put the Supreme Court on your list to see. It will change you forever. It will give you the strength to resist and fight for freedom and truth. This country is beautiful and we are the ones who created it. We are the people standing up. History is moving fast right now. We will be reading about these times for years to come, and I want to be an active participant.