Women. International Women's Day. Women's History Month. It's all about the women in March. Have you noticed? I get all excited at the prospect of women gathering to honor their lineage, their history, families, mentors, neighbors, co-workers, leaders, friends, global sisters, and themselves. On March 4th, I honored International Women's Day, by enjoying dinner with my mother followed by Half the Sky Live. This film highlighted stories from the book Half the Sky, which is all about global women's oppression turned to opportunity, written by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn.

So, I don't really want to brag. But these days, my calendar is pretty full with speaking engagements for The Emancipation Network. I mean, I'd go as far as to say that I'm in – gasp – high demand. And so what if that demand is based almost entirely in elementary schools? As in, preschool, kindergarten, first grade, and fourth grade at the Henry T Wing School in Sandwich, Massachusetts – that's right - my children's elementary school. But seriously, that's not all.

I'll give it to you straight: the past few weeks have been pretty tricky. Less than a month ago, I managed to leave my family for seventeen days, travel across the world, and volunteer with The Emancipation Network right in the thick of it all – the epicenter for human trafficking and a hub of lively, beautiful sex slavery survivors and the heroes that care for them - Kolkata, India. My eyes saw it. My hands touched it. My soul felt it.

Hi Everyone
 
So my jet lag has passed.  I've had a date night with my husband - Misaki sushi!  I've planned a night out with friends.  I've enjoyed winter school vacation with my family and several hours of afternoon cuddling with my babies.  And while I'd love to extend the doting and atta-girls from friends and loved ones, I'm ready to publicly admit that I'm "back in action" after my seventeen day trip to India.  And lucky for me, part of that action is keeping up with this blog as requested by TEN founders, John and Sarah.  An opportunity to regularly share my perspective - that of an everyday, suburban mother of five, household executive, modern day abolishionist, women's rights activist, writer of the divine in the ordinary, community leader and life loving student of the journey.  And while I'm lovin' how all thisl sounds on paper, please note life's never as easy as I say it is.  Motherhood, womanhood, and freedom fighting is all pretty humbling work, so we just gotta start somewhere.  Right here is as good a place as any...

Hi Everyone
I've arrived home safely from Kolkata and it's great to back with my family.  But I wanted to do a final blog with some final thoughts on the trip and openly process the road ahead and how we all can contribute to making change for the girls and young women that I"ve met.  Additionally, I just want to express how truly grateful I am to all that rallied around my family to make this trip possible.  To those that donated so that I could travel with TEN, made a meal for my family, took the kids for a playdate, called to check in, sent me letters and emails of prayers and support, and anyone that has decided to open their hearts and minds to the cause, I love you.  I know it's hard to understand, but this trip was a dream come true.  And it truly took a village to make it happen.  Thank you.

Hi Everyone
 
After just returning from our heavenly weekend holiday in Darjeeling, I'm feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work.  We watched the sunrise across the Himalayas, toured Tibetan Monestaries, had roadside tea in Nepal, and toured a breathtaking, 1,000 acre tea garden.  It was wonderful to have some down time, be a tourist, and linger over fresh pasteries and endless pots of Darjeeling teas in a cooler, cleaner enviornment.
 

Hello Everyone
We are preparing for a busy weekend.  We have a field trip to some public gardens a couple hours outside of Kolkata tomorrow with some children from a red light district shelter.  And when we are finished with that, we'll be taking an overnight train trip to Darjeeling for some sight seeing and fresh air (please!).  So I wanted to blog a bit about the past few days before we head out.
 

Greetings from Kolkata!
There has been no greater feeling on this trip than being greeted by sixty perfect and beautiful girls and young women as we enter their home.  A couple hours outside of Kolkata is the Women's Interlink Foundation shelter that provides full time care and housing for almost 100 survivors of sex trafficking and orphans of sex slavery victims.  Four days in a row, we pull into the shelter to a round of applause and squealing girls chanting "Auntie!  Auntie!".  We are met with bear hugs, huge smiles, and whole lot of girls battling to hold hands with their "aunties".

With less than two weeks until my flight leaves JFK International and arrives in Kolkata, India, I find myself with a familiar feeling in the final stages of preparation. It's as if anxiety, thrill, and tentativeness all collide inside me. Holding on to the moments of the “me” before – the familiar daily rhythms, the ease of routine, the casualness of the everyday. All while knowing I am ripe for an experience and evolution that has lived in my heart for months. The books are read, the movies watched, the conversations spoken, questions asked, errands checked off.