It's kind of the last free day of summer in Montana--and as usual, I'm sitting in a coffee shop, ruminating on...everything. I guess I'll go with a snapshot of the moment and figure it out from there:
Song: Take a Minute by K'naan (it's been a jam for awhile, simple but well-written and easy to want to chill and dance to simultaneously)
Book: Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter (read it)
Drink: Latte (as usual)
Weather: In a neverending battle between blue skies and possible thunderstorms (also fairly usual for Montana right now)
Feeling: Still uncertain--I'm definitely going to miss Montana, but there's something about this time in life (that college-aged one) where I'm realizing that I'm calling three different cities home for the month of August, and I'm kind of great with the idea of being a quasi-nomad right now. I love each of the places I live--Missoula (and Montana) for the outdoors, love of coffee, college-town atmosphere, great people I've met and times I've had; Placentia for the family and friends and feeling of relaxing and being at home (and birthday celebrations--always love August), New Haven for all of the excitement and chaos that comes with school, seeing friends long unseen, choosing classes, getting back into the swing of things, and being part of community. I'm cool with the traveling and moving around--but at the end of the day, I love being able to connect and reconnect with the people in life, both the transient and permanent relationships.
In lit classes, they always reinforce that setting is both time and place--that without one or the other, you don't really have a setting. In physics (well the heady kind), time is the 4th dimension--you can't ever meet someone somewhere without a place and a time. So here's to settings--places and times together, and liking 'em for what they are in all four dimensions.
There's a realization right now that this (Montana) is a gorgeous, amazing place, and I've been lucky to be here for 2 1/2 months. Rocky Mountain High is playing in my head now (yeah John Denver). Maybe I'll be back (forestry school, anyone?), maybe I'll just remember fondly the places I've been and times I've had. And when I'm in the other places, I'll love them, too.
"Farm City..." sounds interesting. I may have to look it up. Have you ever read anything by Bill McKibben - you might like "Deep Economy"
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