reflecting, with king cake coursing through my veins.

1. cold-brewed coffee in the grocery store
2. breakfast this morning: chicory coffee, king cake & biology flash cards in bed
3. this picture is from the Times-Pickayune, and it gives you a visual on those white cowboy boots with tassels that are so hard to describe & so ubiquitous in parades.

i had a great night last night meeting the awesome team at the New Orleans Abortion Fund. great to connect with compassionate, liberal, and just generally kick-ass ladies interested in reproductive justice.

not-so-fun facts: Louisiana has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, and NOAF is the only NNAF chapter in LA, AR, MS, or GA. i'm really excited to be a part of this grassroots effort of women helping women-- reminds me a lot of Backline-- and i've joined their communications committee. i'm really excited to get to know the group better & to get more involved with supporting women's health here in LA.

something really interesting about being here is that suddenly, my interests (mostly i'm talking about running, yoga & women's health) really have set me in small circles & small communities. in some ways, it's easier to find like-minded people in a place like this. in Portland, everyone does yoga, and so it's not very interesting to meet other people who enjoy it. in this meeting last night, there were eight of us, while a similar group in Portland would have dozens of people. it can be so much harder to connect with a bigger group, and to carve out a niche for yourself. maybe my feelings will change, but i like being one of eight, at least for now. it feels like i can do more, and like my skills are more valuable, and it also makes other people really, really excited to meet you. which is really cool.