"And So It Begins...1-21-17," reads a sign from one of the local marchers in Bellingham, Washington, for the Women's March on Saturday morning. This one participant is one of thousands here in Bellingham, and one of millions around the globe who are marching for solidarity, unity and equal rights for all.

But, incredibly, this march has become an even larger, worldwide phenomena. It had been projected as one of the largest protests of its kind and has inspired people around the world, in dozens of countries. Several marches were altered last minute in order to accommodate the unprecedented number of participants. The march is Chicago became so large that it had to be canceled and transformed into a rally. And in Washington D.C., where the original march took place, the crowds became so overwhelming that the scheduled route had to be changed and metro stations near the center were shut down for the morning.

Among the crowds were dozens of political leaders, celebrities and influencers addressing the masses and empowering those present to be kind, inclusive and continue pushing for equal rights and representation for all.

Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke passionately to those gathered for the Women's March in Boston, exclaiming, "We can whimper. We can whine. Or we can fight back! We come here to stand shoulder to shoulder to make clear: We are here! We will not be silent! We will not play dead! We will fight for what we believe in!"

America Ferrara also spoke to the people of Washington D.C., echoing the Women's March founders' intentions, "We reject the demonization of our Muslim brothers and sisters; we demand an end to the systemic murder and incarceration of our black brothers and sisters; we will not give up our right to safe and legal abortions, and we will not ask our LGBTQ families to go backwards."

Those who organized the march here in Bellingham had a very similar message to spread. "The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us. We support the advocacy and resistance movements that reflect our multiple and intersecting identities. We call on all defenders of human rights to join us. This march is the first step towards unifying our communities, grounded in new relationships, to create change from the grassroots level up."

And after spending the morning marching with all their supporters, I think it's safe to say they accomplished their goal. People came together, from all different walks of life, and all ages, to unify and work toward promoting equal rights for all.

"I think that I was surprised at the positivity; I thought people would be angry. I don't think people have given up hope yet, but I do think they're gearing up for a fight," said one of the participants from the march today in Bellingham.

The sentiment was echoed throughout the peaceful protest of millions. We did not gather to promote more hate and fear, but to create a new rhetoric of hope and change for a brighter future.