These are my people (2/30)

I don't even know how to explain this, except saying I just had an AMAZING, AMAZING DAY. For anyone who doesn't know, I graduated from college a year and a half ago and I'm trying to figure out where my life is headed, and all I know is some vague idea that it's going to involve women and sports. My sticking point right now is like, I do want to go to grad school but I'm not sure that right now is the time, so I'm kinda hoping that some other opportunity to be involved in girls/women participation in sport comes along, but honestly there' aren't that many. Or at least it feels that way.

SO all that is leading up today. The Tucker Center at the University of Minnesota is a research center on girls/women and sport and they held a conference all day today.

It started with a poster session at 7:15am. I didn't get there until about 8:30, so I only got to see about half of them. I've spent the time since graduation outside of the academic world, and it was so refreshing to suddenly be reminded how that world exists and how comfortable I was/am in it. I got so emotional right off the bat, understanding all these buzz words and key words within academia and specifically feminism and gender studies.

The thing went on all day long and although I was tired post-lunch and burnt out by the end of it, I'm so glad I went and so glad I stuck it out. I loved feeling the energy in the room, both from academics and from some of the people in organizations/media/etc. I loved realizing that this world exists and seeing how extensive it is and hoping I can fit in it somehow.

These were the personal goals I made:
1. ask a question. Okay, I didn't reach this one. But only because the session I had a question ready for went too long and there was no time for Q and A! They had an interactive "chime in" iPad thing--I did my part participating in that, so hopefully that counts.
2. hand out at least one business card that I spent three hours the day prior making. I was super ambitious and printed out a ton...finally handed out one right before leaving.
3. Introduce myself to someone (important) related to my interests. I introduced myself to the woman in charge of the conference/associate director of the Tucker Center, and she directed me to another graduate from my college, who gave me some solid advice on where to go from here!

I took so many notes, especially through the first couple sessions that I felt like my mom who is notorious for being an extensive note-taker and attention-payer and front-row-sitter. I really want to look back over my notes, say, tomorrow and then again in a week or so--try to keep it fresh and see what things really jump out at me.

The most exciting part of the conference, on a personal level, was a book written by one of the keynote panelists, mentioned in his introduction. It's apparently about the tiny piece of women and sports that interests me MOST OF ALL, that I thought almost nothing existed about. I didn't get to talk to him about it partly because the conference wasn't about that topic at all, and I felt guilty that I somehow missed that work when I was researching! I'm looking forward to tracking down a copy of it and seeing what he has to say on the subject. Unfortunately, he's not a professor in Minnesota but at USC....but maybe the book's references section can point me somewhere else?

The conference host left us with "where do we go from here?" and I want to set three personal goals going forward.

1. seek more information on U grad programs

2. hunt down aforementioned book and think about research on said area

3. find an organization focused on women/sports in the Cities to volunteer with.

I've talked a lot about "home" on this blog, meaning physical place. Today I felt like I was "home" in a totally different and amazingly fulfilling way. I really hope I can do something with this.