Just a disclaimer, I wrote this before the election. Obviously, I am beyond thrilled with the *legitimate* election results that Joe Biden is the president-elect.
Being a progressive and Democrat is a major part of my identity, whether I agree with the actions taken by the party or not. And, because of that, this election has been one of the most stressful moments of my life. I cannot think of a time when I have felt that there is so much riding on one singular electoral event. For me, both Biden and Trump represent different borders. Trump quite literally spouts the benefits of closed borders. Biden, while not perfect, is not as closed off in my opinion and will protect the rights of millions of people. I do not believe that work stops at an election, pushing and protest needs to happen, too. As I have been driving around, I cannot count the number of times I saw a Trump sign at one house and a Biden sign at the next. A Black Lives Matter sign and a pro-Police flag. These borders are so visible in communities, with people on both extremes of the political spectrum living right next to one and other.
Driving allows me to cross quite literal borders, and I see those borders based on political signs and districts that I cross in and out of. 
I pulled over to the side of the road in Media, PA right after I submitted my mail-in ballot and romped around in the rain taking photos of political signs. 
This sign was at the entrance of my cousin’s housing complex. It was a bit beat up, which baffled me. 
Political pins have always had meaning to me, and I’ve collected them for years. I display old political pins of Joe Biden’s, but none of Donald Trump’s have ever been displayed. 
This was taken in a moment of extreme exhaustion and anxiety about the election. 
“Nevertheless, she persisted,” Mitch McConnell about Elizabeth Warren. I try to persist, and persisting to me is doing all that I can with what I have wherever I am. My second necklace is a hamsa or hand of god, 
To me, voting is the easiest act someone can take to change the overarching political system. That being said, it does not stop at voting. Voting is one act that can be done once a year (in Pennsylvania), persistence to make our political system more equal happens everyday.
These photos are brightly colored, I try to bring color into everything I do, and this election has been no different. Of course, anxiety comes through in these photos, but so does persistence. They are full of pain for me, and for others, I know they lack an ounce of hope.
Travel with Talia 