‘ARE YOU GOING? If he wins, are we going?’ It was October 2008, a month before the presidential election, yet many of my friends and family had begun asking this question. ‘Are you going to the inauguration in Washington?’ The question became more important even than ‘Are you voting for Barack?’

My answer was ‘yes’ with an exclamation mark. I transformed into a beacon, cheerleader, resource and more for all things that would lead, help and motivate my Californian friends to take this historic journey.