setting the stage

blogging kind of terrifies me. but so do a lot of other things i'm willing to do, so i figure i might as well give in to the nudging thought of starting (a new) one already. keeping a blog while peace corpsing in togo was kind of nice and i think there's enough interesting things going on around me worth sharing and recording blogstyle. so here goes!

since i haven't really talked to anybody about starting a blog, no one has asked me any questions, much less frequently. but i have my own questions and hope that by preemptively addressing your thoughts, it might help frame where i'm coming from and why i decided to make use of this cyberspace.

who are you?
very good question. whether i've known you for years, months, weeks, or not at all, i think this is a questions we have to constantly ask one another. i can barely keep up with knowing who i am today-- short of experiencing an identity crisis on a regular basis, i tend to think a lot about how my past informs my being today and how my decisions today will shape who i am tomorrow. for the sake of simplicity, here is a list of words that i feel connect to me in one way or another and shape the lense through which i experience the world (in no particular order):

***female***mexican***american***christian***mid 20s***northwest***south bronx resident***extrovert***curious***open***creative***pisces***social activist***loving***evolving***

obviously not an exhaustive list, but i think that captures a decent picture of me. so please take everything i say/write with a grain of salt. and ask me questions. i love questions.

what's your blog going to be about? 
i have a hard time organizing my (many) thoughts sometimes, so there's a lot of different ways this could go. my main interests at the moment include sharing thoughts and resources around social justice issues and their intersection with (christian) faith when relevant. some specific issues that have recently taken hold of my time and brainpower include: immigration reform in the united states, community building (particularly in the south bronx and east harlem), engaging the christian church in human rights work, responsible stewardship of mother earth, affirmation and support of diverse sexual orientations and expressions, cultivation of my and others' creative spirit through the arts... among others.

justyling?
just(ice), style, ing.... mmm that's the best i got

sbx?
south bronx ya heard!!

reclaiming?
definition of RECLAIM
trasitive verb
1

a : to recall from wrong or improper conduct : reform b : tame, subdue

2

a : to rescue from an undesirable state; also : to restore to a previous natural state <reclaim mining sites> b : to make available for human use by changing natural conditions <reclaim swampland>

3

: to obtain from a waste product or by-product : recover <reclaimed plastic>

4

a : to demand or obtain the return of b : to regain possession of

fab?

fabiola, fabs, fabi, fabulous, favivi... take your pick

my hope is that this will serve as a forum to exchange ideas and opportunities that will enrich your and my life. thank you so much for the time you have taken to read and connect.

amor y paz!