On July 28, at 4 p.m., I did something I never thought I would do.

I went to a Donald Trump rally in Davenport, Iowa.

Now, before some of you start booing me and others start cheering, let me explain myself. I'm a Bernie Sanders supporter and I voted for him in the Illinois primary, and was hoping I could do so again in November, but we all see how that worked out. I am the only liberal in my household, as my parents are huge Republicans and Trump supporters. When I tell people that, they say, "Oh, wow, that must be so hard for you!" For a response, I usually just laugh and make some joke about how I'm usually not home from school for about an hour until a political debate starts. Which is actually kinda true, but I honestly don't mind.

Truth is, I'm surrounded by Trump supporters, and it does not bother me one bit. What does bother me is how a lot of people think that it should. What I'm trying to say is that we have an election for a reason. Not everyone is going to agree on everything, and I honestly don't think you can find someone on this planet that shares the same view as you on absolutely everything.

In times like these, it's important for us all to keep an open mind, and try to keep learning as we go. Here are six things I learned attending a Donald Trump rally as a Bernie Sanders supporter.

1. Republicans aren't bad people.

I already knew this, but I think it's important to stress this. I received so many smiles, waves and how do ya do's from strangers. I never had to open a door myself, and even one of the guest speakers who spoke before Trump openly welcomed any Democrats, Independents or other parties visiting the rally. Just because someone has a different perspective on something than you do doesn't make them a bad person. This goes for everything, and for Republicans to remember of other parties, as well.

2. There really are right and wrong ways to protest.

I'm all for peaceful protesting. Everyone has a right to express themselves. Go First Amendment! Yet I was honestly scared on my way to Davenport with how terrible protesting has been now days. For example, at the Republican Convention, protesters threw jars of their urine at people trying to enter, and if that's not just terrible then I don't know what is.

If you want to make a sign and be open and willing to talk nicely with someone as to why you feel the way you do, which is what the protestors at this rally did, then that's wonderful. But if you're going to be closed minded, rude and potentially cause someone harm, then you need to reevaluate yourself. I guarantee that people want to protest some of the things you believe in, too. Opinions are a two-way street. It's not just your way or the highway.

3. Just because someone supports Trump doesn't mean they're racist.

At this rally there was so much culture, it was amazing! I saw Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, Caucasians and there were a lot of religions outspoken of what they believed. There were people wearing shirts that revealed their religious identity, like Jewish, Catholic, Muslim and more. Everyone came together to share their beliefs that day and all rallied together. Don't just associate one thing with another. Just because someone carries an umbrella doesn't mean it's going to rain, get what I'm saying?

4. Keeping an open mind is definitely A-OK.

At first, I was a little worried about going to the rally because I was concerned I was betraying everything I believed in. However, just because I attended this rally doesn't mean I have to change my mind on everything. I was educating myself and doing nothing wrong. It's always a good idea to know the facts before debating, and it's always good to be open to what others believe. If someone disagrees with you, well, that's too bad. The mature thing to do is understand that people are going to think differently than you, and maybe even inquire as to why they do instead of being mean, getting angry and shutting them down.

5. It's important to support those around you.

The main reason I went to this rally in the first place was to support my mom. As I stated before, she's a huge Trump supporter and wanted to go to this rally really badly, but she didn't want to go alone. So I took her and I had a really good time. You can think differently than someone else and still have a great relationship and a great time with them if you support them. Don't you want the same?

6. Get out and vote!

Whether you support Trump, Hillary, an Independent or none of the above, you should still take advantage of your American right and go out and vote. Whether you just do a write in or have an actual candidate in mind, it's important to not just sit back and ignore things. My parents always told me when I was younger, "When you're older, maker sure you go out and vote, because if you don't and something you don't like happens, you can't really complain. You had the opportunity to try and change it, but you didn't take it."

I never thought I would stand in front of a man who I used to despise and actually just shrug my shoulders and think, "Alright, not bad." I honestly don't know who I'm voting for anymore, especially with who I really wanted out of the race. But I actually took the chance to educate myself, be a part of history and learn a thing or six instead of being closed-minded. It honestly felt really good.

I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm not trying to tell you what to do and I'm definitely not telling you you're wrong for whatever you believe. I'm trying to remind you that behind an opinion and behind a belief is a person just like you who is passionate and thinks they're right. Your truth can be false to someone else. I really wish this election wasn't dividing this country so much, and I hope by giving this a read, you might be able to keep an open mind next time you come across someone who's different than you.