Another day, another commute to work, but today I lucked out and got to take the ride twice. I taught a couple classes, met with a couple of students, answered more than a couple of emails, and wrote a rec letter, and then rode home to zone out with some baseball (I love you, MLB.TV, and no, no part of this blog is monetized–I just like baseball) before heading back to campus for tonight’s Women in Academia panel sponsored by the Newcomb Senate. I got there a little bit early, stashed my bike bag under my chair, and got a plate of salad and pizza. I talked for a few minutes about how gender matters in higher education from both a student and faculty perspective and then sat back to listen as the many other speakers shared their opinions from their disciplines. I sneaked this picture of the polite crowd of undergraduates as they listened (except for that guy in the back–I saw you sleeping, but you’ll probably still get the extra credit). There was a time when sitting up in front of a crowd like this one and having to talk to them while they stared back blankly made me super nervous. In fact, I’d be nervous for days in anticipation, unable to eat, heart beating fast as my turn at the podium approached. Now it’s no big thing. I am grateful for getting older and getting comfortable in my skin, for sure. The panel ended, the organizers gave me a plate of frosted brownies that I’m eating right now, and I biked home, enjoying the cool night air. Thank goodness I ride a bike.