Kelly's Run & Fabric Flowers for the Soul

These pictures are from a previous weekend but I needed to make this shout out to the pretty lady in the birthday princess outfit who has been my friend for years. She has propelled me into the world of activism by giving me a wonderful supporter and partner in discussions. Now 20 years old, she'll be moving away again but our friendship always manages across distances so it's okay.

I took a mental health break from Philadelphia for the weekend before I have to do the projects and papers that are integral to the final weeks of the semester. I went home to enjoy the springtime weather, time with family, and a reunion with my love.

We got a chance to see my little brother (who is actually really big at like 6'1") play volleyball on Friday night. Sometimes I feel bad for the kid, since he's all alone at home now but he probably loves it.

 We went to Kelly's Run on Saturday afternoon and hiked for almost 3 hours. This trail is truly gorgeous - its just six miles from the Maryland border and takes a scenic 40 minutes to get to. My only complaint was the number of times where I had to nervously cross the water on slippery stones.

It was perfect hiking weather; just cool enough to wear long sleeves and avoid bugs but warm enough to soak in some sunshine. Needless to say, the long hike with an extensive incline at the end left us both exhausted for the afternoon. We then indulged in way more Olive Garden food than I'd care to admit and indulged in an evening of movies and conversation.

(Notice how one of us is wearing tie dye in both of the pictures of us.Typical.)

Sunday morning was for french toast and dollar store flowers for dorm rooms, and one last drive in the familiar sunny roads. We parted ways on Sunday afternoon after a very satisfying weekend of time spent together - no tears involved when so many great memories there are to last till summer time. 

I was rejuvenated by the time I got to spend with my mom, including helping to make a delicious dinner on Sunday night which the whole family was home for. I've gotten to the point where I just deeply appreciate the time I spend at home instead of missing home or being homesick. 

On the train ride back at 5:30 in the morning, I had three days worth of pleasant thoughts to motivate me to look on the next three weeks of papers, projects and exams with optimism. I will make the most of the last weeks of academic vigor and then gladly take a few weeks of time at home before moving on to the next adventure of summertime on my own.

Hope everyone is enjoying spring thus far.

Smiles, Morgen

A Peek Into My Activism

This week has been a positive one, with great opportunities and even some poetry writing. I probably definitely do not take enough time in this space to blog about my feminist/activist life, and that is worth changing in my mind, being a women's studies major and all. So here's a look into the two really inspiring events I participated in as part of my school's Peer Education team. And then I'll share some pictures from First Friday on a lighter note.

On the left, is a picture of one of our participants in Temple University's Walk A Mile In Her Shoes. If you haven't heard of it or seen it before, it's a walk in heels for men to show their support in ending violence against women. We had all but a handful of the football players participate, as well as members of the Greek organizations, and many more men from around campus. Seeing this crowd of big, college men walking down campus in heels and with signs that say "Don't be that guy" or "These hands aren't for hurting" was great. On the right, is a picture from The Clothesline Project, which is done nationwide as well. The Clothesline is a living arts project where survivors of sexual and other types of assault are given an opportunity to decorate t-shirts as a therapeutic experience. It is beyond words how great of an opportunity this event is for survivors to feel strong, to empower other survivors, and to spread awareness of this experience that is all too common on college campuses. 

The gang spent last night in Olde City, which is in Center City East, for First Friday. I hadn't been to this one in particular before, so I was excited, especially because the weather is finally warming up. We explored some galleries and stores that weren't in our price range. Then we ended up finding a group of fellow friends in the alley and it was a very good time. Hanging around fellow creatives is always pleasant.