Wow, the final week began with a very quiet tribal tonight, AND a unanimous vote! Is the game as simple as it looks? Or is there more you want to clue us in on? 
You know what? I think I'm tuned-in enough. But I will never have a full understanding or knowledge of every conversation until after the game. I can only control myself, and I can only perceive the things I read either directly or through intuition and context clues. Stressing about anything else is only going to tire me out for no reason.
And from what I experienced? In my world it was a simple vote. Some folks were saying Michael if he didn't use the necklace, otherwise Shamar. I told him to use the immunity too... and then the vote was Shamar so I'm not overly paranoid. I know Alexis was trying to get the vote on me or Sherri.
If Alexis didn't win immunity she would have been the vote... however, I doubt it would have been as seamless as last night. She's super resourceful and skilled at the game and could very well have swung something to save herself.
1. Shamar and Aurora were both voted as the biggest goats left in the game, yet here they go, out back to back. Is this what you wanted for your game? Do you think you could have beaten either of them in the end? But, more importantly – now that they’re jurors – do you have their vote to win?
It is what I wanted. Because I didn't want to be edged out of any F3 scenario... plus I never talked much with them. So it went beyond goat status for me too. I needed to get rid of them. I'm not about to walk into a F7 situation where there's people in the game I never talk game with. At this stage every individual vote is huge.
Do I think I could have beaten them in the end? Well I think the "goat" stigma is really hard to shake... but I also think Shamar would have been an unexpected threat to win in the end because that was always his angle and he made it work while being likeable. So getting rid of him was win-win-win: it took out someone I couldn't work with or trust, it took out someone who would be tempting to take to the end, and it took out someone who could have been a sleeper threat too.
I doubt I have their votes. But never say never. Maybe Shamar since we respectfully said we were voting each other... but I doubt it.
2. Final 7…are you thinking long term yet? Walk me through your path to F6…then 5…then 4…you get the idea. Or, why aren’t you thinking long term, and how will that help you…long term?
I'm playing this like life. And honestly? Outside of the game I am very.... commitment-averse. Locking things in for the long-term, making decisions, big purchases, etc.... all of that stresses me out because I like to feel "free." I love having options and being able to adapt or change my mind at a moment's notice. So it's hard for me to sit down and say "this is my ideal boot order" - and I think I tried to have that approach on FI way back when, but I prefer taking the game one round at a time.
That's not to say I'm not thinking ahead. I'm just thinking about the future in a different way.
And I'm a bit torn, actually. I think my best chance at winning would be a F3 with me, Jess, and Michael. And even then Michael would give me a run for my money.
Alexis would win hands down. So would Hope, as much as she's been trying to downplay her threat status. And I know that at this point... I'm going to be both the most hated in the me/Sherri/Matt trio, and now the most UTR. I don't think I'm winning against them.
So it's a huge dilemma coming up... and yes I'm very analytical but at the end of the day I lead with my heart... ugh.
All that to say? Tonight's result won't change anything. Because in my ideal world it's Hope or Alexis to go here. And then we're at F6....
Like if Hope and Alexis are the next two to go, it changes nothing for me because I'll still be in that position where I'm like... do I stick with our three and lose, or do I go with Michael and Jess to the end if that's the F5?
And then there's bound to be a shot against myself, Sherri, or Matt tonight. Or tomorrow. We have the idol but at the same time, if one of them left, then I would need to adapt and figure out what I'm doing - which I'd be fine with while also feeling sad for them.
It would hurt because she trusts me, but I'm thinking Hope is the best vote here? Maybe... maybe not. I'll have to read the room and think about it. She's more dangerous than Alexis with that advantage. And I maintain that both of them need to go very soon since they'll win if they make the end.
3. Here’s a short one. How do you win this game? I mean…that’s the goal here, right? And no, don’t be a smart ass, I know it’s by getting to the end and getting the most jury votes. Give me your personal version.
I've played a pretty simple merge game. I don't have a lot to hide nor do I have any big reveals to make at the end, and I've been more UTR but also direct and calm. Those are the strengths I have to highlight, because I'm not going to get votes for rallying plans together, or for being a HBIC.
So I feel like I have two main roads to win...
(1) Go to the end with something like Jess/Michael and betray my game-long allies. To sit with less well-liked players and to prove I have my own agency type of thing.
(2) Ride it out with Sherri and Matt and try to go all the way... hoping that I can somehow edge out the win. For things like being adaptable, a bit more UTR and level headed against my typical nature, etc.
So yeah. My head is saying (1) is the best option. But my heart wants (2). And that's always the big dilemma, isn't it?
As much as I love them, part of me secretly hopes that Sherri and Matt fall somehow through a blindside or Hope's advantage without me being a part of it.
Because they're my allies and have been for like a month... idk if I'd ever feel good turning on them... but as I've been saying here I feel like I've become the most UTR of the three of us. And the jury may say I'm the goat of the trio and if they did I'd understand it.
