Wanderlust

What is Wanderlust, anyway?

March 16, 2007 at 11:29 pm gvblog Leave a comment

Wanderlust is usually described as “desire to see the world”, “having an itch to travel”. Some people call it itchy feet. But in naming this trip, wherein I will spend time talking to people about the ruthlessly convoluted and endlessly fascinating ways we deal with sexuality in our culture, wanderlust somehow seemed appropriate.

In the fall, I’m moving to New York to study how to integrate sex education, reproductive health care, and advocacy. Before I start thinking about how to do that, I want to know how it’s happening around the country, not just on the coasts. I’ve often seen groups and people come up with ideas that sound really good, except that they don’t talk to people whose buy-in is necessary for the idea to be successful or look around to see if anyone else is doing the same thing. I think people get really enraptured of their own ideas, and it’s hard sometimes to modify, change, or abandon those ideas even when reality intrudes. Unfortunately, that leads to organizations and ideas that have outlived the passion that people once had for them, and everyone involved gets frustrated.

I don’t know, yet, what kind of projects I’ll work on in New York. I do know that the one thing that inspires me, excites me, and positively gets my blood singing is women, talking together, sharing their experiences and knowledge to strengthen and educate each other. I found my strength in a community of women, and it was the most valuable thing I’ve ever found. I know that many other women feel the same way. I know there are more out there that I don’t know yet. I want to find those communities – people who are conjuring poetry out of heartbreak, who are screwing up their courage and flying in the face of the longest odds they’ve ever seen. People who are simply creating a place where they can rest, together, without judgment or blame.

By traveling the country and listening to those organizations and people who are fighting for reproductive, sexual, and political autonomy, I hope to gather knowledge and information, forge connections between people who could mutually benefit from knowing each other, and get inspired and excited by the amazing communities, ideas , and projects that are being manifested every day.

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