That’s me to the final detail. Well, I’m not a dog (shush, no jokes there)… but yeah.
I’m still astonishd at the amount of free time I was able to enjoy in the past month. I’m still attemting to finish “Eldest” before classes start - it’s the second book in the “Eragon” trilogy. Dont know “Eragon”? Look it up and read it BEFORE watching the movie! 
Hasta la vista, my favorite season.
So after the pageant craziness wrapped up, of course I had to spend some time with family and friends before I zoomed back to DC. I went to West Virginia with my mom for a couple days with her relatives, including my older cousin that I’ve idolized sice I was a wee little one. She has two great kids so I was happy to spend time with them while my mom went nuts with her mother and two sisters. When you put the four of them in the same room… *shakes head* it’s nuts. They only see each other maye 2 or 3 times a year so I was happy to let them be!
My cousin and her kids were on vacation as well so we lounged around like crazy. We sat around reading. We watched TV and movies. We ate and my cousin, her husband, and I wined the nights away. We drove through the gorgeous countryside by her house. She makes soap and other home products for business so she taught me how to make basic soap. Now I know how to add to my already-huge pile of soaps, Whee!
We also went swimming… it’s practically a law to swim in the summertime and with my cousin and her family, it’s a breach of the law if you don’t know how to swim. Granted, I took lessons when I was maybe 7 or 8 but I was too distracted by playing in the pool to really pay attention and well, did I really understand the hearing instructors who gestured a word here nd there? Probably not. Others have tried in vain to teach me how to swim properly- how to use my arms and legs, how to breathe without drowning myself, how to get over my panic attacks when I take a peek at the deep end of the pool using goggles. It’s ridiculous really.
I told myself that since I am DONE with cheerleading (9 years.. *nostalgic sigh*) I needed to find another avenue to keep myself active. It’s tough when I’m not given a routine or a schedule that my cheerleading and track teams gave me in high school and at Gallaudet, but no excuse! I asked my cousin to help out and she gladly gave me plenty of tips- well, whatta know. They helped. Look, ma! I can swim! Now that I’m back in DC, I’m eager to practice but the pool is closed until classes begin next week. Oy.
I also took the time in WVa to read “Siddhartha”… I read it during my senior year in high school for AP English but a special someone recommended that I re-read it. It’s basically about a Buddhist man’s journey to self-actualization and discovery of what it means to really attain “nirvana.” When I re-read it, I was amazed at how much I connected with the story in comparison to my senior self in high school. I wonder how much I actually understood the story when I first read it… Of course, the past 5 years brought a LOT into my life and insight of the world. Wow. Read it.
 
Gotta love their neighor’s pool! Definitely a summertime haven.
At home, I caught up with my good friend at my favorite coffee shop, went with her to the beach in this small popular beachtown about 45 minutes from my home, got burnt on the beach closer to our home, read my days and nights away… and the such. We also had my family over for a couple gatherings, as is the tradition whenever I visit home. The best part about that is all the food Mom cooks - she always asks me for specific requests so the food is guaranteed awesome. Ahh, home.
I’m finding that I can only take my time at home in shorter and shorter doses so after the pageants, I only stuck around for a week and a half. I wanted to get back here and settle in and catch up with DC/Gallaudet “stuff” before everything starts again. Only I wish my summer was extended for… forever
This was the night before my morning flight back to DC… We got together for the heck of it and for one of their birthdays (lady with bright yellow purse!). Later hat night, three of us holed up in Denny’s and stayed there until 4am chatting the night away, topics ranging from relationships to deaf politics to religion. One of the best conversations ever.
Here’s to more great conversations here in DC - I’m already having a GREAT time with my new roommates and I’m looking forward to seeing my classmates again. It’s hard to believe this semester will be my last on the campus - in the springtime, I’m off to my full-time internhip before graduating in May.
Adios!
Okay, that wasn’t necessary in the worse sense of things. When I got back to Maryland/DC after 2 1/2 weeks in Michigan, it somehow felt like I’d been gone for 2 months… like a typical college summer vacation. Weird. That was nice in the sense that “made” my summer a bit longer! School begins again in only 2 weeks. Wow.
Michigan wasn’t too shabby, nonetheless. I kept myself insanely busy with the pageants, family gatherings, a short mother-daughter trip to West Virginia to visit family, and spending time with local friends. I was able to cram a lot in that time, including a couple visits to the lake-beach that resulted in a nice tan, so I was content with that!
The pageants… Wow. Insanely busy. I began my involvement with the Miss Deaf Michigan Pageant Association (MDMPA) in 2005 when Kenya Lowe, the director that never gets any sleep and keeps our abs taut with constant laughter, convinced me to compete with 13 other women. That was a great experience (even with all the stress that follows Kenya everywhere)… and I somehow stayed on board since then- as much as I could while living in DC during most of the year. I went with Miss Deaf Michigan, Jonelle Thames, to NAD and the Deaf America pageant in Cali last summer as her chaperone. SO glad I had that opportunity! Last fall, I co-directed the first Junior Miss Deaf Michigan pageant with a fellow former contestant… 9-12-year-old girls. They were just AWESOME and I loved working with them, even only for two short weekends. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to volunteer for this year’s dual pageants - Miss Deaf Michigan pageant and the first Teen Miss Deaf Michigan pageant.
The group (both staff and contestants) was a GREAT one this year. This group had their own characteristics that made them unique from the 2005 group and just as fun. I loved getting to know the contestants and meeting more Deaf women from Michigan. I’ve read somewhere that Michigan actually had the 3rd largest population of Deaf people… and that was so hard to believe because I only knew a small number of them. Later, I realized that a large number of this population were mainstreamed or raised oral so their own interactions with other Deaf people weren’t much so it just seemed that Michigan had a small Deaf population. Blame my ignorance, of course In the past several years, I’ve been meeting more and more Deaf people from Michigan, especially here at Gallaudet- it seems more and more Michigan Deaf people are coming to Gallaudet. Represent!
From Saturday to Tuesday, the staff and contestants met up at a staff member’s home way out in the country in western Michigan for a camping retreat. Magic word: CAMPING! 
I was thrilled but many of them weren’t- especially when the gung-ho retreat coordinator forbad the use of showers, deodorant, toothbrushes… Her key word for those 4 days: SURVIVAL! Ha. We camped right behind the house and there was a luxurious porta-john placed near our campsite (i.e., paper towel, hand sanitizer, small mirror). Survival, alright.
During those 4 days, the contestants went through team-building activities and worked together to make sure they, ahem, survived (i.e., setting up tents together, cooking on a campstove, keeping the fire going)… and of course, got to know each other very well. I loved it this year because we didn’t have that two years ago- two years ago, we all met up at the hotel and got right to work so we were stressed from the beginning and didn’t have much time to get to know each other. This year, they had that opportunity to get to know each other in a relaxed environment so that was wonderful. I hope MDMPA will do it again in 2009.
After fooling the contestants into thinking we’d extend the retreat for another day (”WHAT?!? I need to SHOWER and SHAVE and BRUSH my teeth!!!!!”) we went to the hotel in Kalamazoo on Tuesday and spent the rest of the week there. Tuesday through Friday was a blur of constant mess-ups that we had to fix, stressed people, nonstop rehearsals, great workshops presented by influential Deaf women in our community, and taking part in several Michigan Deaf Association conference events that were ongoing at the same time. Whewwwww.
Miss Deaf America, Chelsea Tobin, arrived Thursday and stayed until early Sunday morning. I had already met her at NAD last summer and she was a visiting student at Gallaudet last fall, so I was thrilled to see her again and get to know her better. She brought a lot of GREAT positive energy to the weekend
The pageant night was Saturday night and it was held in this olllllld state theater a couple blocks away- GORGEOUS stage! It turned out to be a lonnnnnng night and with sisters winning both titles (congrats Jillian and Karlee!). The next morning was a blur of packing, checking out, and trying to meet up for one last time before everyone left, but so much was happening that the final gathering didn’t happen. I ended up having lunch with my good friend from high school and left for the 3-hour drive back home. I was SO tired I had to pull over after an hour and sleep for half an hour. Wow. I CRASHED that night.
It was a hectic but valuable week. I thought a lot about what I’d like to contribute later in the future. Kenya had been persuading me to take up a bigger role in MDMPA. Although I doubt I’ll return to Michigan, I’ve been thinking about whether that’s in the cards for me wherever I end up. I DO know from the Junior pageant experience that the business aspect is NOT my thing… but I LOVED being busy and working with the girls during the actual retreat and pageant week/weekend. I like direct contact with the girls themselves so I know I want a role in young Deaf women’s development in that aspect. I’ve always known that, but this was sort of a confirmation of the fact I remember wanting older Deaf women role models when I was a teen myself and I don’t want other young Deaf women to miss out on that… as well as meeting more Deaf peers from their own state. That seems to become more and more important in Michigan, and I’m sure that applies to other states as well.
I didn’t take many pictures during the week, but here’s a few. Check www.mideaf.org for more pics and info about MDMPA
The 2007 Miss and Teen contestants with Miss Deaf Michigan 2005. The Miss contestants have the blue sashes while the Teens have the red sashes.
Junior Miss Deaf Michigan 2006-2008Â (Yemaya), her friend and Junior co-contestant (Marina), Miss Deaf America 2006-2008 (Chelsea), and Miss Deaf Michigan 2005-2007Â (Jonelle).
The new Teen Miss Deaf Michigan 2007-2009 (Karlee) and Miss Deaf Michigan 2007-2009 (Jillian)… be sure to say hello and congrats to Jillian when you see her at Gallaudet this fall as a freshman!
The entire group during the retreat - at Lake Michigan.
I think the contestants were secretly thrilled during this picture because they realized that a real shower is awaiting them the next day at the hotel
Lake Michigan… One of Michigan’s true gems. Visit it
We finally dd it! We rented a Harley and rode down to Shenandoah Valley last weekend I love the feeling of actually following through on my “talk”…
*Disclaimer: Although this was an awesome once-in-a-lifetime thrill, this does NOT make me a biker chick so don’t expect me to buy my own Harley and strut around campus in a beatdown leather jacket and boots. Thank you very much.
So- we went to Chantilly, Virginia, and rented a nice classic Harley…
… that I of course didn’t drive My bf has a motocycle license and knowledge of driving a shift (the knowledge that I sadly still don’t possess).
Needless to say, he was quite content after we hopped on and rode to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah Valley. It’s such a gorgeous place and apparently really popular with other bikers too. We saw so many bikers in Front Royal when we stopped for lunch before entering Skyline Drive. I felt like such a rookie when we were riding past all the bikers in leather jackets while we were wearing simple jeans and t-shirt/tank top. Stupid of us to wear those, by the way. See below why it’s quite essential to ride a bike in protective clothing (like, say… leather?):
Oooo-weeee. It’s quite a thrill but my hands also got a workout from firmly gripping onto my bf’s belt for dear life. After we entered Skyline Drive, I just didn’t want to stop. I’ve been so eager to get out of DC and go camping for quite some time. By car or bike, Shenandoah is beautiful and it gives you the thrill that you never want to end. When my bf pulled over to one of the many overlooks (I kept referring it to “outlook” until he exasperately told me it’s “OVERlook”), it was nice though. After a few minutes, I was ready to hop back on
Here’s evidence of the thrill- this is just a few of the MANY pictures I took while riding:
We pulled over to the first campground within the Skyline Drive area- Mathew Arms Campground. I wouldn’t say it’s the best if you want a primitive camping experience- the bathrooms have paper towels and soap dispensers… and that’s unheard of for primitive camping! Also, we tried to find the most “woodsy” campsite- many of the other sites were so close to each other and to the road, without really being in the woods. The site we got ended up having rocks all over the ground where we slept… the price we paid for “woodsy” camping. I was happy to stay near the campfire (allowing my bf to tend to the fire- the fire did NOT like me that night. I couldn’t keep it going!) and reading while my bf went on his daily run and later chatting by fire that night after making our hobo-pie pizza dinners. Mmmmm.
Some friends can’t understand why I like camping so much. I don’t do it enough so I wonder if I did it more often, would I get sick of it? I doubt it. That’s one of the topics we discussed by fire: why people often feel “healed” when they venture into nature and get past their discomfort of being away from our society’s constant stimulation. I feel humans have an innate connection with nature as much as animals do- our society just represses that with our addiction to technology. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some study out there that says humans with depression feel better after being in nature for a period of time.
After waking up complaining because we stupidly didn’t bring a sleeping pad to protect us from the rocky floor, we packed up and after eating a diner breakfast in Front Royal, returned to the Chantilly rental place. Back in the safe dome of our van, we decided to stop by Great Falls in Maryland for a final dose of nature before returning to Gallaudet. My bf wanted to kayak and I didn’t bring one for myself, so I decided to swim and scamper like a monkey on the rocks. It resulted in a mean scratch on my arm from a slip down a small cliff- but hey, even that was fun! I’m crazy.
This weekend, I’m going “home” in Michigan. It’s weird to call my parents’ home my “home” after living in DC for 5 years. I’ll be helping out with the Miss Deaf Michigan and Teen Miss Deaf Michigan pageants all next week and then spending time with family in Michigan and West Virginia. Thennnn it’ll be back to DC in the middle of August to cut short my summer vacation and begin school again. I feel like my summer began last weekend *sigh* It’ll be good to see my Michigan friends next week and to see my precious dog at home
And of course, pics will be coming your way!
Yep. I did it.
 I chopped off my hair.
I’ve always had this desire for long, beachy, wavy hair… and I’ve finally achieved that recently when I’ve learned how to manage my hair enough so it looks the way I want! Of course, summertime hit and a plateau hit (in which I ended up just using the same old hairstyle everyday to manage my hair).
I’ve been “talking” about chopping off my hair for so long- I originally planned to wait until graduation to chop it off to mark a major transition in my life… cheesy, I know. Then I recently started to think about cutting it off sooner because of the humid DC weather… Then my bf and I went to Burrito Brothers on Penn Ave in Eastern Market and I saw a Bubbles salon next door so I decided to go in and ask for the cost of a haircut there… then I left with an appointment for the next day. Impulsive. I guess it’s about time!
As soon as I sat down in the chair, the stylist gave me one of the latest gossip magazine - thank goodness, because the appointment turned out to be over an hour long and if I had watched the whole thing, I probably would’ve had a panic attack. I nearly had one when I saw her cut off the front layers to the length where the ends meet my eyes. *gulp* I think she cut off easily over 10 inches… I forgot to ask how many inches, but wow, My hair was really decorating the floor.
I know I’m making a big deal about this, but the last time I had hair this short (Reese Witherspoon-style from “Sweet Home Alabma”) was in 2004 right before I left for Costa Rica. That’s pretty long ago. I’m famous for being indecisive about my hairlength- whenever it’s short, I like it but wish it was longer… whenever it’s longer, I like it but wish it was shorter. Geez.
Without further ado… here’s a “before” and “after.” *drumroll*
Ta-da!
Definitely a powerful movie. Not for the queasy stomachs (like mine, ha) but the filming and the characters and the historical aspects and incorporating the natural language and the entire story itself… pretty amazing. The last few minutes were also pretty hard-hitting.
I have a thing for history and I haven’t really seen much about Mayan history, if at all… I’ve always dreamed of traveling through Central and South Americas- I told a person the other night that if I had to pick only one continent to travel through, I’d pick the lower Americas. The biodiversity there is amazing (esp. in Central America) and I’m curious about the people and culture. It helps that I took 3 years of Spanish so a few cultural lessons were also included. My 2004 trip to Costa Rica sealed the deal- I AM going to travel more countries in that area!
With culture comes history… so the movie provided a bit of that for me. The filmmakers tried to incorporate as many historical facts into their story, props and costumes as much as possible. After the movie, I watched the bonus feature about how they made the film and it was pretty neat.
What amazed me the most about the movie were the strength of the characters- their physical and mental strength. Freakin’ wow.
Watch it - and have a trash can next to you, just in case! No, just kidding. Kinda.
Ha. I just got an email via Facebook from a guy who is now in Costa Rica, wanting contact info for some people within the Deaf community over there. He said he saw my ramblings about Costa Rica on here… Yay! I was beginning to think gBlog was becoming dysfunct
Okay, all humorous comments aside, all is great here! The aforementioned “comps” are done, and with great results- I passed! Apparently I became an official candidate for a Master’s degree after passing comps. Needless to say, I’m thrilled. Even though I have NO idea where I’m going to end up after graduation, it’s nice to know I’m that closer to graduating! I’ve obviously been thinking more about post-graduation plans and while everything is still up in the air, I’m starting to get more clear ideas of what I’d like to pursue. Becoming certified and licensed in counseling is somewhere on the list, as well as becoming certified in play therapy (and maybe sand tray therapy)… that’d be a heck of a way to have fun while working!
I DO know I want to work with Deaf children and their families… I’ve been getting experience of that within the school setting during my practicum at MSSD, and I’m becoming curious about other possible settings (hence my desire to become licensed, and certified in play therapy) to see what my options are. Of course, I can’t settle down into my career til I know where I’m going to actually live! I haven’t been “out there” enough so I do want to travel quite a bit.. Live here and there. There would most likely be complications with getting my certificate/license in terms of where I’m living if I keep moving around, though- many states have their own unique requirements for certifcates and licenses in counseling, and often aren’t applied to other states if I move. Complicated, but that can be figured out
For the past two weeks, I’ve been working for the department as one of my professors’ graduate assistant for this one-month program with 5 hearing medical students from UCSD (that’s San Diego to you!). Along with 4 years in medical school, they are also part of a 4-year program in which they learn ASL, Deaf culture, and various issues of working with the Deaf community in the health care field. Here at Gallaudet, they’re taking intensive ASL classes everyday, and my professor provides a course for them several days a week in which we bring in guest speakers, we go on trips to various places (i.e., NIH in Rockville, the Bodies exhibition in Rosslyn), and so on. I’m their “fun” person- I take them to places around town to see things and to meet more Deaf people.
Needless to say, it’s tough to bring more Deaf people with us during the summertime when nearly everyone is out and zooming around to this country and that city So far, it’s been fun- we’ve gone to the Smithsonian Folklife festival on the mall, bowling with some friends, severrrral bars (ah gotta love it), out to eat, etc… and many more to do. Tonight is the monthly DPHH (Deaf Professionals Happy Hour - visit www.deafdc.com for more info) in Dupont Circle… it’s about time for them to get an overdose of Deaf people and ASL in one setting Should be fun!
It WAS weird at first to hang with hearing people who are learning ASL - the last time I experienced that was in high school in my ASL classes… they’re a fun group, though, so it’s not like I mind in the least bit. These are the people that will talk with hearing parents who just found out their babies are Deaf. That’s kinda major.
On another note- I’m FINALLY going kayaking this weekend with my bf in Great Falls, MD! The last post about wanting soooo bad to get into touch with nature made me page my bf and demand him to tell me a time when he is free so we could go kayaking. Tomorrow, I’m gonna be in utter peace when I’m drifting along the river, avoiding the rapids I’m not that advanced yet and rental places apparently won’t rent out spray skirts and things like that if I haven’t proved my expertise in that area… (which is true for me). I guess I’ll just have to trade kayaks with my bf when we get there and he can teach me all the joys of rolling! Let’s hope I don’t drown or anything like that *knock on wood*
Get out there and do something fun outdoors! Bring plenty of H2O! Adios!
I FINALLY took my dusty bike outside and dragged it to the trail near my apartment for a short ride. That trail is nothing like Yosemite National Park or any of the trails in northern Michigan, mind you… but it’s a very nice instant mini-escape from city life right by my apartment. That is, once I get over being creeped out by random people wandering the trails.
From my apartment, there’s an “exit” from the trail that supposedly goes about 5 miles in either direction from that “exit”… and I’d already explored part of one direction, so I decided to go the other way this time. After a nice little cruise with air in my face and a whiff of the trees and plants, admiring the creek that follows the trail… I came smackdab to a deadend that turned into big rocks and sand. I got off before I could smash into a rock and flip over my bke (thank god) but decided to walk my bike further along the trail to see what’s up. This is what I found.
Gorgeous… and right by my apt?! Niiiice. I passed a couple who were just sitting there by the creek, reading a book and newspaper and relaxing in the sun. I don’t blame them. I took several more pics and they were great… Then I decided to head back the other way and just explore the trail a bit. Ehh- it went into several towns, so it wasn’t as englightening as the “surprise” I got at the other end.
I probably won’t go back on this trail since it’s so limited… but it sure ignited my desire to get back into touch with nature. I’ve been DYING to go camping, hiking, kayaking, biking in the REAL nature… and so on. My experiences are limited, which is more the reason to get into touch with nature and just go all out. I got camping equipment for Christmas and I STILL haven’t used them. Ridiculous.
My bf and I have been discussing (for way too long) about renting a Harley and loading up a mini-pack and just zooming to Shenandoah Valley for the weekend. Baiii… but just gotta DO it! Time and other “commitments” always get in the way. No excuse, but still. We went to Shenandoah Valley with some friends nearly over two years ago (wow, that long??) and that was my first time seeing the valley… daaaaaang. Here’s a sample:
Now you see why I GOTTA go back and explore some more, eh?
Other dream camping trips: anywhere in the mountains of West Virginia, Assateague State Park in Maryland, anywhere out in the West, any of the national parks… I’m flexible. Not picky at all- just has to be REAL nature at my feet! I’m at the point in my life where I’m dying to just grab a vehicle with good gas-per-mileage (especially with the gas prices, sheesh) and plenty of food and a map and just … ZOOM. You can bet I’ll go through a heck of a lot of parks across the country. I just might do that before school starts up again this fall.
On that note- I’ll leave you off with a picture that I hope will ignite the nature-lover in you! There are plenty more natural treasures around DC than most people are willing to admit.
THIS movie made me BAWL last night. Dang.
I know it’s been forever since this movie was made and that I’ve been putting off renting this movie… Last night was a movie night for me so I finally got this movie and … wow.
The night before, I was with friends and we popped in “American History X” and even though I’ve seen it before, it still shocked me to my core. I left before we got to the sidewalk curb part *shudder*
I guess it just still shocks me, how blatant racism and heterosexism and all the other -ism’s (especially audism) is so strong in our country. Every time an incident happens and it’s clear that discrimination was at hand, I just can’t believe it. I have a very hard time understanding why people feel that sort of hatred towards another human being.
Of course, we can go back in time and look at all the different theories and societial influences that have led to all the -ism’s that are happening still today… but it’s stil lthe same old song and story. NO excuse. It happened, period. Now why it’s STILL happening, I don’t get it. Maybe I’m just sheltered by my “white, blonde, blue-eyed American privilege”… but does that make it okay? Of course not. Maybe people who are not white, blonde, or blue-eyed are looking at me and saying “You have noooooo idea” and that’s probably true since I don’t have the same life experience as so many other people in our world… but many people also don’t have my experience. Why should that separate us? We ALL have different experiences- some more traumatic than others, but why can’t we contribute our unique experiences towards some necessary change?
Ha, I’m probably a huge idealist. My dad did shake his head when I told him I hold more liberal views than conservative views- and he said, “Just WAIT ’til you start paying taxes!”
I guess in this case, ignorance is truly a bliss… but I feel guilty not doing anything about it. By becoming a bystander and nodding when something happens, saying “That’s the way it is. Life sucks”… I’m contributing to the -ism itself. That’s just ridiculous.
Now this is the point after I end my ranting and I realize I still haven’t thought of clear possible solutions… other than speaking up about it. That does make a difference… not enough, but it’s something.
What else is there? Share.
And if you haven’t seen these movies, go watch them. Plenty of other movies like those two, as well.
Whew. It’s been quite some time since my last entry- a little over an year, to be exact. A little over a year ago, I was being all sentimental about graduating with my BA degree and here I am, halfway through my MA program. Daaaang.
I’m in the mood to get back into this and travel down Memory Lane as I do this, seeing how close I am coming to graduation once again. Two years is simply not enough for graduate school… I’m in the MA program for the School Counseling program, focusing on working with Deaf children and their families. I’ve been taking a heck of a courseload and just completed the first part of my practicum (that’s another word for a part-tme internship for those who went “huh?” at the word “practicum”) at MSSD right on campus.
I also kept myself insanely busy (well, it maintained my sanity in an ironic way) working for the Peer Health Advocates as their graduate assistant and having loads of fun being a sister for the Delta Epsilon Sorority. Last fall, I also co-directed the first-ever Junior Miss Deaf Michigan pageant back home… Well, I did the co-directing thing long-distance actually. Thank goodness for the Internet and a plane ticket or two
What else? Oh- how could I forget the Vagina Monologues? Ohhhhh- I LOVED that experience, as much as I hated the late-night rehearsals consuming my precious time. When the play was presented at Gallaudet two years ago, the first for me as an audience member, I fell in love with Eve Ensler and swore that I’d become part of the next play. It wasn’t held last year, and this year Nicole Moran and Ally Bradley saved my life and took the lead as the director/producer. I’m really happy I decided to take part- I became inspired by the other strong women within the cast/crew and by acting out my story, “The Vagina Workshop.” Took a lot of guts to just cast aside my anxiety in translating a story into ASL and present it on stage… but it was WELL worth it.
I plan to travel further down Memory Lane as time goes by… heck, I’ve got plenty of time this summer, compared to the past year! I moved into an apartment in Maryland last month and am wrapping up my summer classes. As of June 22, when my comps are done (comps = our department’s “slang” for qualifying exams, the big exam that will determine whether we’re eligible for our full-time internship next spring), I’m going to celebrate and just KICK back and take a breather. I’ll keep working for the department as their graduate assistant throughout July, but my schoolwork obligations will be DONNNNNE! Until the end of August, anyway.
For about the past month and a half, I’ve been taking two summer courses and surprisingly, I’ve been having a blast. Compared to the typical fall/spring semester filled with 5 courses and a practicum, 2 courses are a breeze- and they’re FUN courses! I just completed the “Substance Abuse Prevention for Deaf Youth” with a wonderful adjunct professor who came down to DC during her week-long vacation from counseling at the school f/t Deaf in New Jersey, and I am about to complete “Play Therapy” with another wonderful adjunct professor, a local play therapist. Both professors graduated from our department and they know their stuff… and they’re fun My classmates also helped make classes fly by- we’ve been together since the beginning of our program last August, and we’ll continue together until we leave for our respective internships in January. That’ll be a tough day.
Enough for now, I suppose. I’ve still got a ****load of progress reports to complete for my practicum and some letters to send out, begging various schools f/t Deaf to accept me as their counseling intern for next spring
I think it’s time for a run. It’s been a while and I’ve always said running is my therapy… Gotta practice what I preach. Adios, people!
