I've been thinking this since this morning when I checked my email and wanted to send a big shout out to my 207 hommies and my Jonny -- you guys can't possibly know how much I really enjoyed (and needed) to read your sentiments this morning. There's something special in being reminded so plainly that you have a personality, a life outside of your current situation. That even as you grow because of the situation you're surrounded by, it's still possible to carry along yourself -- your real self that you know is there somewhere, even if being shy around new people can bury it a little -- and your friends and your shared experiences to that new situation. After 48 hours with 3 guys oogling women and going on and on and on about boobs and butt and hottness and drooling over anything with two legs that looks like it's older than 10 years old, it's hard to maintain a sense of self worth, let alone a sense of being a woman as more than an object. Granted, they are nice guys and I know some of it was in jest and they were "exposing the real guy" to me (like that hasn't already been done), it still seemed different (more overt and sexist, maybe? comments made with less respect, maybe?) this weekend. Like I told them at dinner last night, it becomes necessary for me to build a wall up inside to make sure that I don't absorb too much of their mindset and lose my own opinions of myself and what's important. I also don't want to walk about from these 6 weeks never being able to trust a guy again since I've known plenty of sex-crazed ones who are still respectful, decent people.

But anyway, the point of this post is just to say thank you for making me remember (it's nice to be reminded often) how much I love my friends, who they are, and who they encourage me to be. You guys inspire me. You guys make me want to be kinder and more thoughtful. There's just nothing like feeling overwhelming, pure caring for someone else that's not shadowed by selfish ulterior motives.

So yea. Thanks. :)