Reflections and Echoes

It was my intention to post my schedule for my trip today. Well yesterday by the time I wrap this up & post. 
I have committed to dates. I will be heading north in 9 days, on the 10th of February. I will be in New England at least until the 27th. Time will be spent in New Hampshire, central Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, just like the last trip but with a little more thought and logic applied to when I will be where.
I had thought I would share my itinerary here as well. It would, I believe, help me to streamline scheduling if I could post, I will be in Manchester on 2/xx and I have openings from 1p to 6p. 
Safety. I have a directive from my top to maintain my safety. 

When I began dancing at 20, before I went to my first party, I remember feeling so panicked that people would find out I was doing this. I imagined that I would be embarrassed if they did. I worried that maybe my friends would think poorly of me, maybe my family would disown me. I went to my first party, and I knew I had found a thing that was right for me. My concerns about what others might think, gone. If others didn't see how this made me glow. If others didn't see how well it fit my life at the time.  If others didn't respect my autonomy and my ability to make good choices for myself. Well then others didn't know me very well and I would not be stifled by their opinions. 

There were just a couple of spots of concern in my new found, I am the baddest bitch on the planet facet of my personality. My mother was among them. I was a college student and working full-time. I was living in my own home, with my partner and raising a family. I was, in all manner, a responsible adult. And I was 20 years old, I desperately wanted to avoid disappointing my mother.     

My mother's response? Will you be safe? What will you do to insure that you will be safe? Her response was first such a huge relief. Then it gave me pause. I may not have her words verbatim here, but what I typed reflects what she said. Is it safe in general, do you travel with bouncers, or security of some variety. She also conveyed, quite clearly, I was choosing to travel a path outside of the well worn ones, and because of that I was accepting a greater responsibility for my own well-being. 

I have a collection of things I do to mitigate my risks. I do not share them publicly and that too is a safety measure. Many of them are just second nature to me now, and I no longer consciously think about them. Occasionally I recognize a thing that did not occur to me before, and I adjust my strategies accordingly at those times. I take my physical safety seriously, and I am confident in the choices I make regarding it. 

A thing happened, a thing that will not be shared here, but it reminded me that there are other risks beyond physical. Areas where I am perhaps, sometimes, just a little bit reckless. Or if not reckless, comparably less conservative. 

I am confident that sharing my itinerary publicly for this trip would not jeopardize my physical safety. It would make a small thing a bit easier. Having been given this moment to reflect on the other areas that I should tend to with more care, I am not going to give advanced notice of my entire itinerary. My party is on Valentine's Day in Rhode Island. I will be attending one day of the Flea, contact me if you wish to arrange to see me there. If I am attending any other events during this trip, I will rsvp via normal channels. I have a few appointments still available, more or less evenly divided between central Mass, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire. Which just leaves the matter of my broadcasts...

Did you notice the new feature above? It is still in testing stage. Assuming it performs as expected, which I intend to verify tomorrow evening, when I broadcast it will appear here as well. You can view my public broadcast right here in my blog. If you wish to join the conversation or view my private broadcasts, you will need to follow the link to Chaturbate. I will announce as I always do when I am about to sign on.