A mi companyero viajado,

You're probably in the jungle right now; hiking through the most magnificent rainforest on earth.  I shiver from excitement.

I started regular school last Tuesday.  So now, it's almost been officially one week of Emily being back at school.  Horrah!  I haven't gotten back into old, shallow, cynical, angry, antisocial habits, but I've noticed myself falling into a classic negative thinking trend that high school so generously brings upon us.  I'm working on that though. :)

Been doing photography in my visual communications class and paintings/drawings/other in my Studio Art class - I'm currently on a rolling creative slam.

Do you remember I told you about that dream with Gharret from the Drakensburg?  The dream where I decided to write it all out.  Well that little "dream-story" has turned into a 17 page Emily-masterpiece and I'm now having my mom professionally edit it.  You never know... maybe I might try and publish it.  Of course... not without your opinion first!!

I went to poetry night at Fantasia coffee house earlier this night.  It's not the one I took you too (that's Three Trees), but it's quite similar.  There was a featured poet tonight who was from New York and had won the Nation Poet Slam contest.  His words, performance and presence was simply, ineffable.   His name is John Sanz, and he is now my favorite poet that I have ever seen, if not my favorite poet of all time.  

Tell Claire that, truly, because of her, I am now a lover of poetry and am taking a Creative Writing class for my English credit at school.  The class is basically like a continuance of what we were studying in the Fall.

ANYWAYS - you are now deeply involved in the wonders of experience and I'm sure these mumblings of mine are far from tickling your excitement.  But I want you to remember an important lesson that I've learned/am learning:

~Life is not always a phenomenal, international adventure.  Sometimes we just have to live our daily lives in the smaller sphere of locality.~  

You will come back to this when you return (far from the time you read this), and have to live in understanding of this principle.  Trust me, I struggle with it every day.  EVERY DAY :P  However, it doesn't mean that life is most often monotonous, boring or ordinary.  Your life is in your hands and yours alone and you can decide upon your attitude and actions towards your state of "living".

Ukuthanda Sisi,

Didingwe, Ahbleza, Emily