[charolastra00]

I'm copying this from the alternachicks board, hope you guys don't mind!

Hi all! I'm Allie and I'm a 19.5 year old college student from Georgia but living in the Boston metro area for school. The biggest thing about me is that I'm a campaign junkie and an obsessive activist. While I consider myself much to the left of the Democratic party, my freshman year GPA went down the toilet this year working my butt off to campaign for them. And I'm happy to say that after walking many miles around gun country in Connecticut, Rep. Joe Courtney won by a little more than 100 votes and I seriously chalk that up to myself. I'm modest too

To copy one of these things:

Location - right now my butt is in Cumming, Georgia for a few weeks at home between school and an internship. This summer I'll be in Cambridge, MA and during the school year I live on campus in Waltham, Ma.

Weight & Height - 5'5 and 219, down from 225 a week ago

Work - working on a triple major in international relations (with a focus on poverty and inequality), political science, and Latin American studies with a minor in either cultural anthropology or economics. This summer I'm interning at an immigration aid nonprofit doing everything (mostly grant writing and research, planning a charity gala event, community organizing, and home visits) while probably working a 2nd job that actually pays if I can find one and taking beginning Portuguese at Harvard.

Books - His Dark Materials, Jane Eyre, Sophie's World, Anne of Green Gables series, and anything by Federico Garcia Lorca or Dorothy Parker. I'm a big fan of more classic literature too and love the Boston Public Library for having free downloads of books on tape.

Music - pretty varied, I like power metal (best show I've ever been to was Blind Guardian... too bad the 20:1 male-female ratio was comprised of mostly really undesirable men), classic rock, rock en Espanol, folk rock, protest music, and modern alternative/ indie

TV - Lost, House, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, the 4400, Law and Order SVU, The Office... the only shows I really CANNOT let myself miss are Lost because I work myself up about each episode and House because it's not shown online.

Movies - foreign and indie are the ways to go, especially Spanish and Latin American films

Interests/Hobbies - knitting, playing my clarinet and bass guitar, protests, wikisurfing, writing angry letters to my congressman (John Linder is such a grr), exploring Boston

Goals - be a "normal" BMI by my 20th birthday, so about 149 by December 31st. Long term goal is to be 135 but since I haven't been 135 since I was in puberty, I'll see how I feel then. I may try to drop to 125 depending. Then it's important that I keep it off not only for health and confidence, but also because I want no problems joining the Peace Corps.

Religion - agnostic cultural Jew with interests in Unitarian Universalism and a belief in spirit animals.

Politics - Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol... but since I do not have the fortune of living in Spain, I'm a Greenie who votes Democrat

Relationship Status - experimenting. Since I'll be out of the country more than I'll be in it in the next 5 years, I'm not tying myself down to anyone so I'm dating guys in a range of ages, education levels, personalities, and professions to get a feel of what's right for me. Right now I'm somewhat monogomously dating a very nice guy for the summer probably until we both move on to something more serious... although we could potentially get somewhat serious.

Weight Loss Plan - South Beach diet... I love this WOE

Languages- fluent in English, advanced level of Spanish (fluent in reading and writing, not so much in speaking and aural comprehension), basic French, basic Portuguese (though can read most Brazilian newspapers fluently), and am beginning Russian in the fall


I also talk/type a lot.

[seranab]

Hey there charolastra,
I hope you are well and I really want to give you a big thumbs up for your activism - you're doing something very good. I saw that your favourite books are "his dark materials" and "Jane Eyre" mine too... but I love a range of the old victorian gothic. I study English and American Studies at Leicester University in the United Kingdom. I'm generally an activist as well but haven't been to a good demo for a very long time. After the UK went into Iraq I became extremely disheartened and disillusioned.
Anyways, welcome to 3fc!! You are going to love it here and find support in all shapes and sizes (lol). Good luck on your weight journey!!

[CarolynFL]

Hi Allie

Welcome to 3FC. I'm brand new here myself, and so far the welcome from the membership has been downright overwhelmingly supportive.

LOVED reading your intro... We have TONS in common... I feel like I'm meeting myself 20 years ago. So, incase you're wondering, the activism doesn't stop after 30. Language acquisition is a life long passion. Travel too.

Have a great week! I look forward to seeing you around the boards...

Carolyn

[wateraddict]

welcome!

good luck with everything!

[charolastra00]

Thank you all!

Seranab- University of Leicester is actually one of the schools I'm looking at for my year abroad. I would really ideally like to be in London, specifically at LSE, but I don't think I'll get in, so I'm applying to a bunch within a few hours train ride of London. I understand why you would be disillusioned. I have several friends either in Iraq or have come back. They all went into it very positively but have since recanted and are very critical of our presence there, so that's my validation that I'm doing it for my friends who can't protest themselves.

Carolyn- I actually feel like there are more people who are already out on their own and professionals in the activist world than students! It's really sad actually, IMO. I go to the east coast center of the 60s anti-Vietnam movement (where they had to redesign the student centers so that they could not be taken over!) and while everyone is very knowledgeable politically, very few people take action. In all my political groups in Boston, I hang out with mostly people in their 30s who kind of take me under their wing. I definitely hope to continue my activism!

Good luck with your weight loss journeys!

[seranab]

You know whats wierd? I'm from Cambridge In the UK lol...

[seranab]

Well if you come to uni in Leicester I ASSURE you... you will love it here. And you'll probably run into me VERY VERY OFTEN! lol, if you come to Leicester you'll soon realise why.

[CarolynFL]

Allie, That is so disappointing to hear.. and surprising. Makes me especially glad to 'meet' you though - the exception to the rule.