Greetings Listeners,
I hope you are having a wonderful day. We have now arrived to #AudioMo day 1 for 2025, and I’m so excited it’s here again! This is nothing fancy, just me giving my description and things I’ll be talking about in this month’s posts.
I have intentions to have all my audio transcribed. I’m using the transcription option in Just Press Record because it’s free and the easiest option I can use for now. Unfortunately, since it uses Apple’s so-called wonderful speech recognition software, the transcripts are not very well written, so I cleaned it up with Chat GPT. It refines the grammar and took out the filler and duplicate words, so the text will not exactly follow the audio. However, it kept my same tone so I’m happy with that at least. The transcript is below. Enjoy the audio, and thank you for listening. I look forward to meeting more of you here during #AudioMo!
Audio Transcript
Hello everyone, this is Melissa Rowe.
Welcome to #AudioMo, Day One for the year 2025. My goodness—where has the time gone?
I’m trying to reflect on all the changes in my life over the past year because it’s been a whirlwind. I’ve participated in almost every #AudioMo since its inception in 2011, and I absolutely love it. It’s the highlight of my summer. It gets so hot and uncomfortable here, but I can stay inside in the cool air conditioning and listen to some truly amazing people—some familiar voices, some new—and there’s just a wonderful sense of community.
Audio is fascinating. Its longevity and the way it brings people together is beautiful. It’s incredible how deeply it’s been embraced worldwide.
Anyway, I’m here today to give a brief introduction and talk about what I plan to share during this year’s #AudioMo. I’m also doing my best to make it a priority to have all my AudioMo posts transcribed, so everyone can access and enjoy them.
There’s been a lot of discussion about alt text for images lately, which is great, but not as many people put much thought into audio transcription. For me, increasing access is important. I’ve always felt strongly that audio should be transcribed. On my main podcast, I do have transcripts automatically generated by my provider, but I only get ten free transcripts a month. Luckily, I don’t publish that often, so it meets my needs—but it’s not enough for AudioMo.
For those who don’t know, AudioMo is a challenge—“Mo” short for “month”—where everyone posts an audio clip each day throughout June and shares it on social media using the #AudioMo hashtag. The clip can be about anything, and it doesn’t have to be any particular length. The only real rule is to be respectful, which is important in any community.
Oh! Speaking of community—yes, they’re listening out for you, aren’t they, buddy?
My guide dog Zappa just lifted his head—he’s my 12-year-old retired guide dog from The Seeing Eye. He’s a yellow lab, and yes, I should have mentioned him sooner! He’s an important part of my life.
I live in very sunny Southern California with my husband of almost 19 years. I’m currently enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado in their graduate program for Special Education, specializing in teaching students who are blind or visually impaired. I’m now doing my teaching practicum, which I’ll dive into more during this month’s posts. It’s been quite a journey—challenging and eye-opening—but exciting too.
Since last year’s AudioMo, I’ve learned about some cool new tech and had many new experiences. My goal today is simply to introduce myself and share my intentions for this year’s challenge.
So, again, I’m Melissa Rowe. I live in California with my husband and my retired guide dog. I love podcasting when I have time, and I also enjoy blogging, creative writing, and audio in general. I use the term “audio” broadly because I love producing, recording, and capturing sounds. It’s something that really brings me joy.
I also audio journal. I’ve got a collection of files I call “microphone therapy” because journaling feels like a safe space to process emotions. It’s something I find healing. Music is another passion of mine, and I’ll be doing an AudioMo post about that as well.
This past year has been a time of serious self-discovery and reflection. I’ve had to confront long-held feelings and beliefs. I recently started therapy again, and it’s brought a lot of things back to the surface. It’s been tough. The practicum experience has also been mentally exhausting—with gatekeeping, advocacy, and just trying to push forward.
Honestly, I’m a different person than I was during last year’s AudioMo. I wouldn’t say that’s entirely good or bad—it just is. I’m doing my best to figure things out.
I’ve started taking mushroom supplements to help with mental clarity and focus. Nothing fancy—just basic supplements you can get from Amazon or Walmart. I don’t know yet how well they’ll work, but I’m open to trying new ways to support my well-being.
Through it all, I’m still here. And so is Zappa—he just lifted his head again. Are you demanding my attention, sweet boy?
I’m going to wrap up this post before it gets too long. I’m glad Zappa made it into this audio because, with his age and arthritis, every moment with him is precious. When I first tried recording this post, he came into the room and needed help getting on the bed. His arthritis is moderate now, and he can’t walk very far or climb easily. We often have to lift or carry him—especially on and off the bed—to keep him safe. But I’m just so grateful he’s still with me.
Thank you for listening. I’m excited to be part of #AudioMo again this year.
Take care, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon. Bye for now!