The First Day

So today was interesting and entertaining. I got to Pitzer  for opening ceremony ON TIME (unlike last year). Ceremony was very medicinal and the energy in the room was super calm and relaxed which I think is amazing considering it was the first day for all of us. After catching up with old friends from last year, I went to my room and immediately unpacked everything and got settled. As you can tell, I’m pretty excited to be here again this year. Last year really changed me a lot as an Indigenous person, womyn and as an individual so to have the privilege to be back here and experience it all over again is just heavenly to me. Pure bliss. After packing my many, many things that I don’t need, I headed over to lunch and…well…ATE! Then I headed over to the theater room with my earphones blasting Electric PowWow Drum by A Tribe Called Red on, hands on hips, and looking at the murals painted across the campus. They all have such a true meaning to them. We did a lot of exercises and ice breakers in theater and i LOVE icebreakers because the feelings of awkwardness isn’t an individual thing. Everyone feels weird and cringe so yeah. Then we talked with our mentors and learned about eachother a lot. Tons of personal stories and amazing words of wisdom. We then went to make clapper-sticks with Auntie Julia Bogany and I had the privilege of talking with Sara about our lives and people we’ve come across with whom we both know so I’m happy I made a new friend. Then, was dinner and again, I ATE!! We met with Julia again and had a circle and talked about who our rocks in our life is. I chose my mom. I have never met someone who loves me so much in the world. She is my best friend and my everything. I love her. Then Alejandro sang the whale hunting song that he shared with me and it was awesome. I felt… empowered! And now, we’re blogging. I missed writing about my days. After this, me, Neeka, Huitzilin and Sylena are going to burn some incense outside and just chill and reflect on our day. So stoked!!

-Aolani