Day 0: Adventures in ASL

Loooong day. Got up at 5:30am, which might as well be never going to bed for me. Airport by 6:30. Flight at 8:30. 5 hour flight turned into 6 hours, thanks to circling over thunderstorms stopping all inbound flights. Ran low on fuel, had to go to Pittsburgh. Got off to stretch our legs, then off again about a half hour later. Taxied forever behind everyone else delayed in PA. Finally got to hotel by 8:30pm EST. 12 hours in various transit. For what? 

ASLTA 50th anniversary conference at Gallaudet University in Washington DC.

I haven't flown in over 9 years. It was a big step, and a big leap of faith to dive into such an immersive ASL experience. But I'm looking forward to the challenge. 

Flew with my friend, mentor, and former ASL teacher, Michael Cooper. He attended Gallaudet for his MA in American Sign Language Education (MASLED), and is excited to return to his alma mater. I am just thrilled to finally visit this Deaf Mecca.

We ran into other attendees in the airport, some Deaf, some hearing, all teachers. The hands were flying and I got a glimpse of what I was in for!

I knew it was going to be tricky to know when to insert myself, and when to sit back. Being actively involved was the best way for me to learn, but without being able to fully participate, I felt like I was creeping on other people’s conversations. And I was VERY cognizant this was a rare opportunity not only for all the fluent participants, but especially for Deaf folks like Michael. This was HIS WORLD, and anytime someone felt the need to adapt for my understanding level, it was taking away from his fully immersive experience in his Happy Place. So sometimes, like in this photo, I opted to observe from a respectful distance, and try to figure out what the social norms would be in this group. Besides, I had 5 days ahead of me to be digging in; might as well slide into warm water and turn the heat up, than jump into a boiling pot, right? RIGHT?!

Now I need sleep!