Eve Ensler, Anne Hull, Kael Alford, Anna Badken.....

And hopefully so many more. These are the names of amazing women advocates and writers whom I've met this academic year alone. Anne Hull's journalism, Kael Alford and Anna Badken's photographic journalism, Eve Ensler and her amazing advocacy for sexual assault victims. I got Ms. Ensler to sign my book with words "vagina blessings", my life may be complete. (This and taking part of S.H.O.U.T weekend workshops consisting of opening up dialogue and learning martial arts)

My to do list for this weekend now merely consists of
-Reading two Japanese articles
-Writing a response paper
-preparing for a quiz
-Echo article
-laundry
-taxes
-(and Mam phys/ study abroad aps... if I get to them)

and I think I might die. The thing is, I'm exhausted, and it's stressful but I don't really mind being this busy. I prefer it. I could sit in my room, not participate in S.H.O.U.T or meet Eve Ensler, have all my homework done by now, and be relaxed but... that's not living, that's not getting out there. The sense of change within me has become very relevant, and the shyness is almost non-existent at times here. I look at myself now, with the weight gain from staying up late and eating because I have a lot on my plate, and I feel like that girl who was afraid to speak up in high school, who hated her awkwardness, is growing into that awkwardness, into that womanhood of yearning the hard work, and the freedom, and the voice. I will try to do Echo tonight and most other things tomorrow, but I'll probably get enough sleep if I work through it diligently and I'll be ok. That's the only thing I miss about home, is the queen sized bed and the ten hour nights, but here with my network of friends, and finally having the major I enjoy underway. All this hard work, though I will complain about it incessently, is liberating, because I'm on my way to finding ME.