Sometimes progress comes with unexpected pauses. This past week, I faced a setback when I temporarily lost access to the work I’ve been developing all semester. It felt overwhelming at first. However, it became a reminder of how quickly things can change. It also highlighted how important it is to adapt. Thankfully, with the help of Kean’s IT team, they were able to recover my files. I’ve since transferred everything from Google Drive to Microsoft OneDrive to make sure my work is secure moving forward.

Although the situation forced me to slow down, it also gave me space to reflect and reset. Now that everything is back in place, I’m ready to move ahead with clarity and focus. The autoethnography is nearly finished, needing only a few final refinements. This week, I’m aiming to complete that portion and begin outlining and drafting Part 3. 

I’m beginning to envision Part 3. I see it as the space where everything comes together. This includes research, reflection, and lived experience. This section will draw heavily from my literature review to support a deeper analysis of trauma and healing. I want to ground my personal narrative in scholarly conversations that explore how trauma shapes identity, memory, and the body, and how healing can unfold. The literature review will serve as a framework, helping me contextualize not only my own experiences but also the themes that emerged throughout this project.

It will also include an analysis of the interview transcripts, examining patterns, shared experiences, and moments of resonance. I’m interested in highlighting where stories intersect, where they diverge, and what they reveal about the complexities of processing trauma. 

Another central focus will be the process of healing through writing itself. I plan to explore how storytelling became more than documentation, it became a method of release, understanding, and reclaiming agency. Writing created space to confront difficult memories, re-frame them, and ultimately transform them.