I live in London. I have lived in the UK for the past 13 years. I voted this year, for the first time. I voted for Hillary Clinton because it was the right choice, she was morally the right choice.
Sadly, I woke up early on Wednesday morning to very bad news, not just for America but for the world. I was left feeling sad, deflated and scared for the unknown. My little sister was scared too. Most women I spoke to feel the same, and minorities, and those close to me.
All day, I felt hurt that my home country could make such a terrible choice. I began to feel angry for the people who made this choice. I went to bed feeling angry at my country, the country I've always been so proud to be from and the country I've always deeply admired.
Then today, I woke up. I woke up and realised America is wonderful. I remembered all of the things I still love about America. I love Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Carole King and Billy Joel. I love Jay Z (his old stuff), OutKast, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Beyonce (obviously). I love the fried chicken from Harlem and Popeye's. I love the crabs you crack with a mallet from Baltimore (my hometown). I love knowing in the winter if I go home there will be a lot of snow. I love if I go home in the summertime, my dad turns on the BBQ and we sit down to a feast of steak and chicken. I love that we always will go for snowballs (with marshmallow on top).
I love that this year, I am going to be spending my Christmas and New Year in California, the land of eternal sun and happy faces. I love that even over here, we've been celebrating Thanksgiving for the last 13 years, because well, what else are you supposed to do? Tradition is rife and will always be incredibly important to me and my American family.
I love that my Mom, who is American, has started her own incredibly successful business. I love that my sisters are insanely talented (both American) too, and do so well in their careers and personal lives. These American women are my role models. In fact, I have so many role models who are American of all races, genders, shapes and sizes, and I love that too.
So today, I am feeling a little bit more positive in knowing that even though America may not be run by a man I admire or look up to, or who shares the same values as me - there's still a lot of good in my forever wonderful country, and that will never change. So thanks America, for forever being wonderful no matter what the outcome.