I couldn’t believe it; I was so sure that I had left the world. And who could blame me, after that trip across the mountain floor which there was no footprint, the stars flaming like oranges, those multimillion tons of exploding gas looking so mild and fresh in the dark of the sky; and altogether, that freshness, you know, that is like autumn freshness when you go out of the house in the morning and find the flowers have waked in the frost with piercing life?

-came across this in my current reading of Saul Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King. Striking description; reminds me a bit of the wonder I feel in my new community.

Other Updates:
• So, I have a favorite colmado in Santo Domingo in which I know all the employees and frequently hang out at. As I was telling one of the employees about my new site, it turns out HE IS FROM THE SITE! Fate. So cool. I will be seeing him in December when he returns for Christmas.
I'm officially a Peace Corps volunteer! I move to my site officially tomorrow for the next two years!