Bliss

So much has happened! People have come! People have gone! My brain has been tired! My brain is reinvigorated! Wait, wait. I gotta slow down. Specifics. Specifics?

Specific #1-My family came down from Wisconsin to hug and love and bicker about politics with. We fought, kissed, hugged, and laughed. It all worked, and...I think they may be new readers here!

Specific #2-My two good friends Peter and Brigita are getting married! We ate lunch (above) and they told me! Its set for fall. In the mountains. I'm really behind this union.

Specific #3-School is over, and it damn near killed me.

Specific #4-Louis and I got emails letting us know that we were accepted to teach in Spain next year! We applied back in March, but thought it a bit slim. We were wrong! Both Louis and I were assigned the region of Extremadura. We will be teaching classes on North American culture in the public school system. I couldn't sleep last night. I can't even think right now. All I know is that I am going to have a hard time waiting for September.

Until September, I am going to spend a lot of time with friends. I think this is the summer for outdoor friendship dinners at least twice a week. Before Spain, I am going to soak up all the North American culture I can get my hands on.

Speaking of America, spring is here, and is popping out of ever nook and cranny:

Slack

Today I got the opportunity to hike up in the Sandia mountains that border Albuquerque. The weather was o so warm, and even the wind didn't pick up too much. Climbing to the top of a little mound I passed two porky dogs walking their owners, a thrush, and a graffiti rock that read, "Diego and Anah, Yeah!" At the top I got to look out on all of Albuquerque and I realized how nice it is to be back. Its such a strange sight to see this city in the middle of the desert and its existence feels a little... impossible. Growing up here I never understood the spiritual draw that New Mexico had. Now, when I am staring at the burning purple of the Sandias at sunset, I start to get it, I start to feel it. It feels good.

This afternoon I spent some time at the park with Jess and Louis while they were slack lining. I got to tote around my brand new, and sublimely wonderful, Klean Kanteen and read Salt: A World History. I was really pleasantly surprised how many people came over to talk and find out what exactly we were doing. More than that, everyone seemed to know each other, dogs and kids ran around and we were all intoxicated with the outdoors. My neighborhood has a really great energy, and I'm settling in well.

Plant Neighbors

There are probably 1,945,000 poems about spring. Today I feel like every one of them.

No more of you around here!

And, happy birthday Bethany. You always bring this type enthusiasm to the day.

Sweet Day

Today, I got the chance to slow down and be with some of the sweetest company I know. Hanna and Jesse let me take them on a very unsuccessful estate sale hunt, and then cooked up some green chile chicken noodle soup in their amazing new house. We spent the afternoon in antique stores, and quickly found out that the stores usually give a bit of candy, tootsie pops, peppermints, york peppermint patties, and we were suckers for it. It is so nice to go a bit slower today. With midterms just behind me I had been writing and reading more papers than I think is healthy. I noticed at about seven o'clock last night that my throat was a bit sore, and then I realized I had been sort of clenching my teeth and tensing my throat. Probably since Tuesday. The winter can be hard, and I'm finding this season is a bit more unwelcome since I came home from Ecuador. I think the adjustment may have been smoother had I returned in May.
Whatever the reason for all my sluggish/tired feelings/thoughts, today felt like the beginning of something beautiful-spring.

As I mentioned, Hanna and Jesse are spankin' new home owners, and I managed to snap a few shots: