Last night I saw Sex and the City 2. I’m telling you this, because carrying the shame in silence cannot be good. I want you to all know that this is a safe space, and you’re free to admit that you saw the movie, too. No questions asked. I’m just glad you’re here now.
But if you really do want to know, it wasn’t my intention to see Carrie Bradshaw: The Haunting. The person I went to the movies with is a guy who lives in a world 15 minutes slower than mine. He has to be broken of this, and I knew just what might do it.
I read a review of Sex and the City 2 awhile back that basically said, “Yeah, it’s a terrible romantic comedy. But it’s a pretty good work of science fiction!” I kept toying with a mad lib train of thought as I watched. “Sex and the City is like __________ for women,” I thought.
Katie Spotz, 22, is the youngest person - and first woman - to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Not bad for the slowest girl on the team!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Katie for I Am A Super Woman. She’s as Super Woman as they come - she’s biked from D.C. to Seattle, ran 150 miles across the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, and was the first person to swim the entire length of the 325-mile Allegheny River.
An excerpt from the interview:
IAAS: What did you do to prepare — both mentally and physically — for rowing across the ocean?
Katie Spotz: I knew that more than a physical challenge, it would be a mental challenge to be alone for so long with just the ocean and my boat. I had to learn to row and work my body, but I also did a lot of meditation. You get blisters. You get seasick. You’re lonely and bored and things break. When the hundredth thing goes wrong, it’s not having strong muscles that’s going to get you through. It’s your mind that gets you across.
IAAS: What were the biggest challenges you faced?
Katie Spotz: One of the most difficult things about rowing across the Atlantic was deciding to do it. I met someone who knew someone who’d done it. After I got over how amazing that was, I felt that I should try it. I had a lot of ideas of who I was and what I was capable of doing, and it just didn’t make sense. I didn’t have boating experience. I didn’t know how to row. There was so much I had to overcome within myself to follow my dream.
Life has been crazy lately, but I’m finally in London! I’ll be interviewed by Alicia Keys - the Alicia Keys - today and then will attend her concert tonight.
It’s early morning here and gray. I’m too excited to be tired. So far.
First off, thank you so much for your comments and congrats! The only word to describe how I’ve felt the last few days has been “overwhelmed.”
I’m overwhelmed by the magnitude of the opportunity I have before me. I’m overwhelmed by how much I need to do before I head to London. I’m overwhelmed by the kindness of others. And I won’t forget it. None of it. This has just been too great.
Because of time constraints, the bulk of my blogging is going to be at I Am A Super Woman for awhile. I really, really, really want the head blogging position, so any way you can contribute to this goal (reading posts, leaving thoughtful comments, and clicking stars to rate each post) is so appreciated. I’ll be tweeting links to new posts as I publish them.
I’m one of 10 finalists for the head blogging job at the Alicia Keys site I Am A Super Woman! I’m so excited I could jog through Central Park smiling or do myriad other crazy things I wouldn’t normally do.
It feels really, really good to be close enough to look up opportunity’s nostrils. I’m standing here thinking, “Wow. Opportunity is just like me. How can I get him to glance over here? Maybe if I start jogging maniacally and smiling?”
So yes, that is a bad personification. And I need to settle down and take off my sneakers before someone gets some exercise.
A few months ago, one of my college friends was venting to me via instant messenger. He’s a science teacher at a low-performing school in San Antonio now, which is to say, “The kids are crazy!”
Kids are always crazy to some extent at any school, but science class really brings that out in them. There’s something about all the potentially hazardous chemicals and entropy.
I haven’t taught in a classroom in a few years, but I’m happy to give my thoughts on teaching. Mind you, I’m no expert. My best interactions with kids are one-on-one or in small groups. But I can still think like a teacher.
Here’s a question from Billy, who is no doubt a crazy kid but seems very much like a student I’d like:
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