#smoopy

current hairstyle: undyed dark brown slightly definitely overgrown undercut (with the goal to grow it down my back :))

number of diplomas: 1 2

comfort items

hrt nalgene water bottle [1]

polaroid cam

black-and-gold + black-and-silver sunglasses

medium black-and-white nylon crescent baggu bag

uniqlo brown fleece jacket [2]

navy blue wh-1000xm4 sony headphones

garfield wallet

summer bucket list -- all accomplished!!

get at least 5 new whatsapp contacts in the summer

go to a new restaurant every week

healthy duolingo streak (319 today!)

listen to 5 new musicians in non-english languages

kriolu kabuverdianu: mayra andrade, djodje, beatzkilla, neyna

español: manuel medrano, juliana, nathy peluso

quechua: milena wharton, L E N I N, renata flores, S Ö F Y

português: LUDMILLA, pabllo vittar, emicida

go to a caboverdian live music event

oh i went to so many...

neyna, djodje, beatzkilla, kátia semedo, the DJs at festivals, and all the lovely small bands at restaurants

try chinese-capeverdian food

not much to write home about jafiweoaj

fall bucket list

go to a new restaurant every week

healthy duolingo streak

work out at least three times a week

visit a new city in california

send at least a text to every hs / college pal i want to keep in touch with

make a friend i see once a month outside of work / apartment

stop being scared of no-back shoes / slides

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[1] i pretend that the company doesn't exist and that i'm just very pro-hormone replacement therapy (which i am, but u usually don't see ppl carry a 32 oz water bottle for it)

[2] facebook marketplace is something that can be so special

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So, as some of you know, I have mentored my mentee for seven years. I met him when I volunteered as a “big sister” type program at a residential treatment center for girls with serious mental health and behavior issues.

He was eleven at the time and had already been through more shit than most of us will go through in our whole lives. But even though he had serious behavioral issues, he was also a super sweet kid. Even though he’s moved to different programs twice since then, I’ve “followed” him and stayed on as his mentor. It’s been remarkable to watch him grow up and come into his own. And, if you’ve paid attention over time, you’ll probably notice that that growth has including him coming out as queer and later as a trans boy (and the way that the other kids, staff at the program, and his family reacted to it has given me hope for the future bc they have been amazingly supportive).

Why am I telling you all this? Because tomorrow he’s graduating from high school. He’s the first (or one of the first) member of his family to graduate. And he’s already checking out various community college programs, which the state will pay for because he made the responsible decision of “signing in” to the foster system when he turned 18 (which means that the state will continue to support him and pay for education until he is 21).

The hanged man:

Aw man pretty boring answer but like any of the star wars movies. The matrix had very cool music too

The tower: