[CoolBee]

I'm not regretting my challenge in the slightest - I'm up to over 40000 words now (that's half a typical novel!) in 8 days of writing - today I got a random topic assigned from the journal jar about an aspect of "high school life" which didn't thrill or inspire me at all (or so I thought!).

Some 1.5 hours of pounding at the keyboard later, and some 3000 words in, I was struck by some of the things that had revealed themselves to me - some of the hurts and 'life's lessons learned young' that came rolling out, that are affecting me now, some 30 years later where the rational, grown up me would probably have reasoned around who said what and why, teenage me didn't.

This challenge feels like its opened a floodgate for me, like every little bit of me wants to find its way out. I guess for the first time in my life I have the space, time and energy for something like this, and I think its a crucial part of my personal development. If you had asked me even a month ago if I would do something like this challenge, I would have said you have got to be kidding.