As we walked into McCarren towards the track, the air shifted. The park pulsed with the rumblings of cheers, people put a pause on their work-outs to look down at their phones in awe. Claps grew louder, and you could feel a sense of relief in the air.

Ryan looked over at me. "Did he just win?"
Thoughts raced through my head: Did it really happen? Can we actually celebrate?

The week before was filled with a collective anxiety unlike any other. Watching the news 24/7. Waking up in the middle of the night at 4am, unable to go back to sleep without first checking Twitter to see who was leading Georgia or if Pennsylvania had any chance of flipping blue. The stress could be felt by all, and the words "this is looking like 2016" felt like a heavy weight to carry all week. It was hard to focus on work until we simply had an answer. But we had no idea when an answer would come: Would it be days? Weeks? Months?

But in the park, we got our answer.
"Oh my god. Biden won."

My eyes couldn't help but tear up from the pure relief of it all. My cheeks couldn't help but smile from the joyous energy that could be shared by all that day. It was a victory unlike any other.

Almost immediately, people started coming together with Biden flags. Speakers were blasted repeating the lyrics, "Fuck Donald Trump." Everyone became a "woo" girl, and the cheers echoed from person to person. Champagne bottles were popped. People took over the streets with confetti and masks. Text messages were exchanged exclaiming "WE DID IT," to both friends and even strangers. The fights, the protests, the calls - it was worth it. And showed that our efforts weren't for nothing. That a glimmer of hope could exist in 2020.

Watching Kamala Harris and Biden take the stage flooded the world with a sense of normalcy again. It showed progress towards a better future, one that's more diverse, and shows possibility for every American. But despite all the good in this moment, we still know the nation is extremely divided, and that this was only the beginning of a slightly easier up-hill battle.

But my god, for that one day, that single moment: we all shared a sign of relief in the park.
We danced. We celebrated. And we won.