ok, i have successfully survivied my first weeks in the desert. i think it's fantastic here! it's been surprisingly easy and painless to settle in, and the culture shock has been mild. however, i am again in a place where natural beauty makes me gasp and feel extremely grateful. i have been to two evening hikes this weekend, ands that is THE TIME to be in the desert. the sunsets are gorgeus, and everything is embedded in colors i did not know existed. wow.

school is interesting. i have Navajo language and philosophy of the Dine, two subjects i enjoy immensely. the language, of course, is hard to have a grip of yet, but the philosophy and religion studies have already in a week been rewarding. what an opportunity to look at life in a different way! art is good too, all my classes are in studio, so there should be many happy aftyernoons with hands in paint and clay. and more so, one of the profs seems like he'd be a good guide in the art of painting... especially, when the painting needs more work than usual. and besides, he's from nashville so at least the accent should be fun!