I recently attended my first political rally at the Indiana Statehouse, and it was eye-opening. There were thousands of people in attendance, and it was phenomenal to see how many citizens of this state truly care about what is happening here. I never expected to learn nearly as much as I did, but regardless, I did.

1. I know more people who care about our state’s issues than I realized.

I attended the rally with a few friends, but I also saw other people I knew who were also in attendance simply because they cared about the issue as much as I did. Just because we hadn't spoken about these issues before obviously didn't mean they didn't have an opinion about them.

2. Lots of people feel very strongly about Indiana's politics.

I was in awe of just how many people showed up for this rally. While some of the people in attendance were there to protest the rally itself, it still managed to amaze me that that many people cared enough about this bill to invest a few hours of their Saturday rallying and protesting at the statehouse.

3. I really enjoy protesting.

I've always known that I'm passionate about my beliefs and the things that I care about, but I had no idea just how much fun it could be to express my opinions loudly and publicly. Holding up signs, chanting, taking pictures, and just being involved in general were all part of what made the few hours spent on the lawn of the statehouse a great time.

4. I wasn't as over-prepared as I thought I was.

Even though I wore a long-sleeved shirt, a coat, and gloves, I thought there was no way I would actually want all of those layers. It turned out that I was wrong. Holding up signs for that long was cold enough with gloves on, so I can't even imagine how frozen my hands would have been without them. All of this goes to show that rallying is more work than it looks like, and I'm extremely glad I took the extra time to prepare.

5. "Rally" should not equal "disrespectful chaos."

The organizers had to shush the audience multiple times throughout because chanting had started between speakers. While I'll admit that I was guilty of being involved with the impromptu chanting a few times, I also was quick to stop once the next speaker was ready to begin. As annoying as it seemed to have to wait on the protesters to quiet down before the speakers could move on, what was even more frustrating was the constant shouting of the counter-protesters in the back of the crowd. Between pure anger and a megaphone, they were able to produce a significant amount of noise, which prevented the speakers from being heard on occasion.

6. Rallying is like nothing else.

Attending this rally and being on the lawn of the statehouse with thousands of people who all feel strongly about the issues in the same ways that I do was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I could feel the energy of the people around me, and it was phenomenal. We were all there for the same purpose, with the same goal, and we all knew that. We all knew that we were there to support each other and the rest of the citizens of our state, and I can't even put that feeling into words.

While this was the first political rally I have attended, it definitely won't be the last. I enjoyed myself immensely, and I know it was something I'll remember for a long time. I'm extremely grateful for the experience, and I can't wait for the opportunity to do it again.