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so, all of those updates that I had... I suppose I should get to them. I'll do my best; I'm trying to have a productive day, and this wasn't included in the checklist of chores... so, bear with me :)

First, the bill that I worked my ass off on failed miserably in the house. It was a mighty sad day for North Dakotans and I still can't quite get over it. The bill would have protected individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender from being fired from their job or evicted from their home based solely on their identity as LGB or T. The arguments that were brought up against the bill were so juvenile, archaic and unjust that I can't even begin to describe them here. What I can say; however, was that I had the opportunity to be in the House Chamber when it was heard and voted on. The discussion lasted for well over and hour. One of the sponsors of the bill, Corey Mock, allowed me to sit with him and I can't say how grateful I am of this opportunity. He made an incredible speech that eloquently summed up the reasoning that this bill is a necessity in the state of North Dakota. I was proud to be a member of the "under 30" generation at that time. Even though we were extremely outnumbered in that chamber, we did the best we could to represent human rights, dignity, and equality. Corey also allowed me to push the "green" button at the time of the vote. I know this may not sound like a huge deal, but after you've worked for nearly 6 months every day trying to educate people and get them to send letters to their representatives and senators, that symbolic "button pushing" meant quite a lot. I'm thankful to have ended the journey like I did; it allowed for some closure and even though I can't say that I've quite moved on, it instilled a drive in me that I don't think I'll soon lose. I'm so grateful for the process that SB2278 exposed me to. It showed me how backward much of our government is, especially in ND. The fact that there is only 1 woman under 30 is sickening and that there are only 7 total individuals in the house and senate who are under 30 is even more devastating. These old white men are simply out of touch with their constituencies and even more frightening, the world. Involving myself in this process has forced me to consider running for office. I can't say when I'll do it, but I know I will. Someday I'll be sitting in that chamber and casting my votes for a more progressive and equitable ND.

Beyond that, things here were crazy with the flooding. We weren't in school from March 6 until April 6th... and that basically means that everything is being squished into the time remaining. It gets a bit difficult to teach (and learn) when things are so out of the ordinary. The water is receding and the flood threat has passed for Fargo; luckily without any major strife.

I've also been trying to get back into running. I used to run quite a lot in high school, but the drive and passion for it sort of passed. I tried to keep it up when I moved to Germany, but things just weren't the same there. And, obviously, since college, I have neglected to do this as well. I've slowly been making progress and am happy to say that two nights ago I ran 7 miles in 65 minutes. This may not seem like a very long way, but I am quite proud that I was able to accomplish the feat. I called Mr. Jeremy Tucker last evening and we collectively decided to run Grandma's Marathon together next summer. I think it will be a great goal to strive for.. and, it'll be some nice brother/sister bonding time :) I am super excited to continue the running outside in the nice weather. Every once in a while we get a nice day that teases us into thinking that we are going to actually have a spring.. I'm just waiting for the leaves to turn green and the grass to start coming back.

One last thing before I sign off... I have the privilege of leading another service team to Guatemala this May. We will be leaving on May 17 and returning on May 27. We are collecting items and if you are moved to give to this incredible cause, please let me know. This journey has been one that has most profoundly impacted my life. The ability to work with students for 4 months to unravel the intracacies of privilege, opression, poverty, and culture is inexplainable. I can't even say how happy and proud of my students that I am. They've truly demonstrated that they're slowing beginning to "get it." It can be overwhelming and unnerving to be exposed to the inequalities and atrocities in this world... and I commend them for working to understand how they can do their part to overcome them....

There are a million other things I could write about.. but for now, I must do some homework. Ta Ta my friends....