Only a month in, 2017 is already loaded with history. January 20th ushered in a new era of change, followed a day later by a new era of opposition across the world.

Inauguration Day was made all the more surreal by its contrast to Obama's first inauguration, a peaceful transition of power that had previously represented nothing but happy optimistic feelings for many. All of the debates, arguments, SNL performances, and "fake" vs "real" news could not prepare me for the emotions I felt walking onto the Nation's Capital Mall for the new administration.

The day began with a cloud of uncertainty, and ended in chaos, with over 200 arrests. Violent protesters destroyed property and got into scuffles with police, symbolizing the apocalyptic ending that many fear.

But just one day later, instead of clouds, a ray of sunshine emerged in the form of protests and marches that spanned the globe. The overall peaceful gathering of many displayed the disapproval of the new administration, and the sense that the country's fate was not set in stone.