On November 8th, we received the results of election.

Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States, and I became more fearful for my rights than I ever have before.

You know when you're kayaking against the current and you can see the shore, but you know you are not going to be able to stop paddling until you reach it or the current will take you backwards way quicker than you will be comfortable with? That is what I felt like as I received the final results of the election. I had been paddling, America had been paddling so hard, the shore was in sight -- now we are in the middle of the ocean with only one oar and a whole lot of anger.

I am not currently in the United States, and I have been living outside of it for the majority of the election process. I watched every debate a day after it was streamed in the US. I didn’t protest at a single rally, or post a sign in my yard endorsing a candidate. I just watched, listened, and absorbed from afar. The most I could contribute was through social media and by voting.

I did both.

I got educated, and I proudly voted in the first election I have been able to, for who I thought was going to be the first female president.

And then I sat with my classmates as we mourned the loss of progress, as we tried to grasp the idea that Hillary didn't win.

Being in Thailand during this election -- a country that is currently mourning the loss of their own leader -- has taught me an immense amount. There was a veil of sadness draped over the country when they lost their King; now, as we mourn for the loss of a leader we believed in, I have felt nothing but welcome.

They want to stand in solidarity with us; the most powerful nation in the world is currently filled with thousands of terrified people. My Thai friends know exactly how it feels to fear your own government, and they want to comfort us.

It is remarkable.

Although our governments might be different, the sentiment is the same. We are both terrified of our new reality, we are both unsettled by the uncertainty of our freedom-, and we both want desperately to unite and affect change.

I was in the hospital the day after the election for a routine visit. As I was sitting in the waiting room, a very elderly gentleman sat next to me. He looked to be feeling very unwell and spent the majority of the time resting his head against the wall, eyes closed. Just before I got up to leave, he mustered the energy to sit up and talk to me. He asked where I was from, and I told him America, a statement I have frivolously stated countless times during my time abroad, but one that felt a little less prideful that day.

He struggled to find the words to respond -- his English wasn't very good, but after a while, he said, "Oh, you have a new president? Do you like him?"

I responded, "We do have a new president, and no, I can't say I do."

He closed his eyes again and said "Me neither. I am so sorry."

The sadness is palpable; the disappointment can be felt across the world.

For as long as I have been alive, I have never feared that my rights would be taken away as much as I fear for that now. Prior to this election, I could not fathom that we would go backwards in our progress. I am not interested in reliving the past. But whatever happens, I think that what is the most important to remember is that this election cannot redefine our society by allowing hatred to infiltrate.

No matter if you are in a place of extreme fear or a place of ignorant privilege, it is our duty to stand together.

Politics should not invoke so much pain. It is no longer about supporting a candidate; it is about supporting one another now.

Stand against hatred, and stand up for acceptance. I refuse to live in an America where half the population feels unsafe. These problems have existed in America for centuries; the people who believe and promote oppression have always resided in the land of the free. Now it is time to remember we are also living in the home of the brave. So with bravery and boldness, we will fight for the change we wish to seek in our nation. We will not make America great by allowing hatred to divide us.

Instead of allowing the result of this election to divide us, we the people must stand together, because throughout history, no matter the conflicts, disagreements, progress, or change, we can always count on one thing, and that is that we have never failed to rise up.

Together we will always rise.