Grace Baumann Audio Essay Transcript February 3, 2014 Hi my name is Grace Baumann, and this is my audio essay titled,

!ust "ne #tep At a Time$% Than&s 'or listenin() * hope you en+oy it) ,-ind blo.in(, Feet crunchin( throu(h sno., !ust (et bac& to /as0uerilla East% !ust (et bac& to /as0uerilla East% !ust 'ocus on the side.al& and maybe this 'i'teen minute .al& all o' the .ay across campus .ill seem shorter% God that e1am .as hard% That e1am .as really, really hard% A'ter handin( in my e1am and lea2in( the room, * immediately (oo(led the ans.er to that last essay 0uestion% God * still ha2e no idea .hat /ro'essor .anted us to .rite% * hope other people 'elt the same .ay% #hoot * really had to do .ell on this% -ait there .as another 0uestion * .anted to remember so * could loo& it up and see i' * (ot that one ri(ht either% -hat .as the 0uestion3 -hat .as the 0uestion3 /ia(et4s #ta(es o' 5o(niti2e 6e2elopment) * thin& * remembered all 'our sta(es but no. *4m .onderin( i' there .as a 'i'th sta(e * 'or(ot about% 7ote to sel'8 loo& that up ri(ht .hen * (et bac& to my room% Hal'.ay there than& (od% /as0uerilla East has ne2er seemed so 'ar% -ait and * ha2e to study 'or that #panish e1am tomorro.% Ehh, *4ll do that last, 'or some reason that seems less important in my head% 9aybe * should be ma&in( a list% *' only * could ta&e out my phone and type up a 0uic& list o' .hat * ha2e to do by the end o' the day% 9y hands are so .arm in my poc&ets% The last thin( * .ant to do ri(ht no. is ta&e out my phone .ith my 'ro:en and crac&ed &nuc&les% -o. * can already see /as0uerilla East% That second hal' o' this 'ri(idly 'ree:in( cold .al& .ent by seemin(ly 'aster% * .onder .hen it .ill e2entually stop bein( ne(ati2e ele2en de(rees% 6oes my body e2en &no. .hat it 'eels li&e to be .arm anymore3 ,#;A9, 7o no no no no no no no no% ". ". ".% * .ould slip and 'all ri(ht be'ore *4m about to 'inally ma&e it inside% ,Foot steps, ,6oor openin(, Than& the lord% * ha2e ne2er been so happy to 'inally be bac& at my dorm% 7o. up the 'our 'li(hts o' stairs% This day literally couldn4t (et any .orse% Fe.) *4m so tired, * most de'initely 'ailed that e1am, * ha2e mountains o' home.or& to do, this .eather 'eels li&e * am in an ne2er endin( sno. tundra, and ,#&ype noise, ,#&ype noise, A .hirlin( .a2e o' relie' .ashes o2er me% #uddenly * 'eel completely rela1ed% E2ery .orry, stress, and pain is released 'rom the tiny pores o' my body% *t4s li&e a sho.er, a sho.er that +ust .ashed a.ay all o' my pains and stru((les% * 'eel 'ree% * 'eel clean% * 'eel li&e * can do anythin(% * 'eel ener(i:ed li&e * could run a mile% ;i&e * could s.im across an ocean or bi&e across a country% * run to my 9acboo& and clic& the accept button% As the bo1 pops up on my screen and the 'u::y ima(e be(ins to clear up, * couldn4t ha2e been happier to see the 'ace o' my 9om smilin( bac& at me% Hi honey) Ho. as your day been3$ Hi 9om, it4s been a really lon( day% * didn4t do too .ell on my e1am and * ha2e loads o' .or& to (et done by the end o' the

day$% A.e *4m sorry about that% *t .ill be o&ay thou(h% !ust try and rela1% <ou are stron( and can perse2ere e2en throu(h the rou(hest o' times%$ * suddenly reali:ed this is .hat * had needed% This past .ee& had been e1haustin( and the 'eelin( o' bein( in this deep deep hole o' home.or&, e1ams, and other commitments had (otten to me% * had been in brie' contact .ith my 9om o2er the past .ee&% A 'e. te1ts here, a couple missed phone calls there, e2en a 2oicemail or t.o% But nothin( could compare to the relie' * 'elt bein( able to actually see my beauti'ul mothers 'ace starin( bac& at me% Her 'ace reminded me o' com'ort, o' protection, o' security% *t reminded me o' hot summer days runnin( throu(h my bac&yard as my mother yelled outside 'rom the &itchen .indo. that it .as lunchtime% *t reminded me o' crisp cool autumn ni(hts .hen my mom .ould ma&e me my 'a2orite dessert 'or my birthday8 dar& chocolate co2ered stra.berries% *t reminded me o' 'ri(id .inter sno. days .here *4d spend hal' my day buildin( the per'ect sno.man and the other hal' shi2erin( in my &itchen as my mom tried to .arm me up .ith a steamin( cup o' hot coco% *t reminded me o' s.eet s.eet sprin(time and the countless bi&e rides around the par& peddlin( as 'ast as my little le(s could peddle &no.in( that my mom .as .atchin( me e2ery step o' the .ay li&e a mother ha.&% Tal&in( to my mom on the phone and actually seein( her 'ace seemed li&e t.o completely di''erent e1periences% This 2ideo chat, this pro(ram, this computer, this machine% This .as my mom% This .as my security% And this .as my relie'%