Today, I had a debrief with SustainUS to reflect on personal and organizational experiences in Copenhagen. At one point, I was asked why I went to Copenhagen and if I had specific goals for my involvement there.  I was able to answer the question, but not as eloquently as I would have liked.
It is often easier for me to answer questions by telling someone else's story. During the debrief I was also asked why the China-US Youth Forum on Climate Change that SustainUS helped organize was a highlight of my time in Copenhagen; I couldn't find the words to explain why or how the event moved me, so I said, "watch the film I put together."
Sometimes I find that even someone else's creation conveys my feelings better than I can: just this morning, I told friends on Facebook that this video from the UK Youth Climate Coalition explains my experience in Copenhagen better than I've been able to so far.
But my friend Morgan's post on It's Getting Hot in Here today reminded me of the importance of being able to tell my own story (and not just through video, though I find that method important in its own right). Ironically, this concept of sharing our personal stories - between US and Chinese youth and then back to our home communities about the power of doing so - is probably what made the China-US Youth Forum so special to me.
So while I take some time to find the words to tell my story, my question to you is, what is your story? Why are you involved? When did it all start? What drives you? What initially sparked you and what renews your spirit in the movement?
Unfortunately the SustainUS blog does not support comments. I invite you to head over to theClimateers.org, where this entry is cross-posted, to share your story in the comments there.