Catherine Patterson

When I was researching documentaries to watch on the trans experience, I was horrified to find that most of the videos that immediately popped up on YouTube painted trans people in a definitively negative light. They completely disregarded trans kids' experiences as the product of "brainwashing" by malicious adults, completely ridding trans kids of their agency. It was really concerning to me that these were the first videos to pop up. As a queer person with many years of advocacy and community work under my belt, I have the background knowledge to know that these videos are pushing false facts. However, for someone who doesn't know anything about trans people and is trying to learn in good faith, these videos can mislead them very quickly.

One of the most informative parts of the documentary I watched, called "Growing Up Trans" by PBS, was learning that not every trans kid has a bad experience with their parents as they grow up and begin to express themselves. Even though the idea of young kids recognizing their transness has been a topic of discussion for about a decade, I was sure that acceptance of trans youth by family members was still in its early days. Especially now that being trans has been hyperpoliticized, I wasn't expecting so many parents to be supportive of their trans kids, even if that support didn't come from a place of understanding.

I practice self-care by settling down with a mug of tea and either watching a favorite movie of mine, or reading a book. I really enjoy my peace, so after long weeks I’ll either invite my friends to join me for a relaxing movie night (with snacks! :) ) or I’ll choose to spend the night with myself. While I love my friends, I am ultimately an introvert, and it’s difficult for me sometimes to recognize when I need time to myself to recharge. My book/movie nights are one of the ways that I bring myself back into the present moment after feeling overwhelmed.

Also, I think it’s really important that we learn how to spend time with ourselves without any distractions. Whether it be for self-reflection or just to enjoy our own company, being able to sit alone with yourself without feeling lonely or uncomfortable with yourself is so important, because it indicates how you perceive yourself. I fully believe you can learn some of the most important things about yourself by just sitting with yourself and being.

Walking through Georgetown without headphones is so much more of an embodied experience than walking just to get somewhere. When I walk through the neighborhood just to walk, I notice all the details in each individual house, the comings and goings of tourists and neighbors and students, the sounds of the birds and the cars. Everything feels much more alive and real.

I love dancing! I don't have experience dancing professionally, but I love putting on music in my room and dancing around with my roommate Sam. Those times have been some of my favorite memories of this year.

I want to go to bed at a consistent time every night, regardless of whether or not I'm waking up earlier or later. I've started to realize that routine sleeping is just as important (if not more important) as getting enough sleep every night. Also, no matter how busy I am, I want to commit myself to getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep a night. I've found that structuring my work times during the day make me less stressed at the end of the day, and keep me in a calmer headspace where I feel I can go to sleep without missing out on work time or personal time.