life is happening!

wow. there is so much going on in my life right now, and it is pretty much amazing.

since my last post, Asher Moody PROPOSED to me and we are now engaged! most of you probably know this already through the grapevine or from facebook (haha). we are incredibly happy and i'm excited to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man. sadly this means the end for Joe and me :( but it was a wonderful marriage while it lasted, ha ha. Asher and I are aiming for the end of the summer in 2010 as a tentative date...

also since my last post, i auditioned (eek!) for a part in San Jose State University's performance of The Vagina Monologues and i got a part. i have always loved the empowerment and sense of community that comes from being involved in TVM, but this is my first time on stage and it is scary and exciting. i just created a blog for the production at http://vdaysjsu.blogspot.com/ so if you find yourself in the south bay during Easter weekend, come check out a show about vaginas! (and sexuality, and esteem, and violence against women, and abuse, and empowerment, and...) Proceeds go to local non-profit orgs working to end violence against women and girls.

tomorrow night i will attend Berkeley's Vagina Monologues for the 3rd time and i'm stoked! i'll get to see my buddies and also watch the performance more critically this time to get ideas for our own performance.

i've also been on 3 panels in the last few days: 2 for human sexuality classes and one Transgender Health Care presentation (with Asher as his partner/fiancee) for the counseling center staff and medical staff at SJSU's student health center. Asher's amazing MD came to train our staff on culturally competent trans care and it is *so exciting* to see things beginning to happen at SJSU. on a personal note, the more panels i do the more confident i am in my ability to speak eloquently, informatively, and compassionately as a member of and leader in the queer community. (not on behalf of the community though, which is a very important distinction for me). i still get all sweaty and nervous though... which is gross and annoying.

other than that... i love santa cruz and the bay area more with each day and i'm looking forward to spending most of my life here. on the flip side of that, i'm missing utah and family and we are thinking of returning to SLC after we graduate for my masters program... we'll see. it's something i'd really like to do. that's in the future though because with all the moving and shaking i'm scheduled to graduate spring of 2011. you know, if i don't switch schools again. (ha yeah right).

missing all of you who are spread across the globe,
~elaine