Only a day left of the EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity and Privacy Professionals conference—and whew, I am tired, y’all.

This was my first EDUCAUSE event, and hopefully not my last. It’s been a whirlwind of learning, connection, and moments that stretched me beyond what I thought I could do—and there’s still one more day to go!

What’s been the most exhausting part? The social piece. Networking.
As an introvert, walking into rooms full of strangers takes a lot of energy. Often I attend these things alone, and it’s easy to fall back into the role of “fly on the wall”—my natural habitat. 😂

But today… I did it. I really did it.
People came up to me. They wanted to hear my story. And I told it.
I talked, I shared, I opened the door. And someone—quite literally—took me by the hand and introduced me to even more people.

It was real, it was joyful, and it was… me.
People wanted to connect with me.

And I let them.

By the end of the evening, I was emotionally wiped—but in the very best way.
I’m proud of myself. And I’m grateful—for the nudges to step out of my comfort zone, for the warmth I found in unexpected places, and for the reminder that my story is worth hearing.

I think I’m going to sleep very well tonight.
And honestly? I can’t wait for tomorrow.

-Terry