I figured out what I want to do next. This is kind of a big deal, but I am still being pretty critical of myself, unable to just pat myself on the back for only taking 6 days to figure it out. Anyway, I decided that I want to go back to South Hadley for July and August. This entails finding a (very) cheap place to live and enough odd jobs to keep me in kibble for two months. I spent the morning scouring craigslist, the Alumnae website, and my former professors (not literally, of course) for possibilities. Not looking so good. Maybe I need to give the plan more than 24 hours to happen...

Our big trip to Providence turned into a big bust (K was tired, cranky, and spacey, so we left after only 15 minutes of walking around). However, we were there just long enough to whet our appetites for a bigger, better visit sometime soon. We parked up next to the Brown University campus, which is absolutely gorgeous. Their Philosophy Department building is bigger than most mansions. The lawns were incredibly green and sheltered by huge old trees. The portion we checked out was enclosed by high brick walls punctuated by massive wrought iron gates. I spotted an intriguing sculpture and we went over to check it out. It was several times taller than a person, made entirely of saplings bent to form sinuous geometrical shapes, and had little rooms and alcoves in which to hide. The sculpture was assembled by Brown U students, faculty, and staff, in conjunction with the sculptor. They wound it around several pre-existing trees, which sprout out of the top of some of the "rooms". In short, it was stunning and wonderful. After thoroughly inspecting it, we strolled down the hill, past more mansions containing academic departments (oh, Merrill House, you would have wept) and several promising libraries and museums, into the downtown Providence area. We went to look at a huge statue and started to walk along the river promenade, at which point K completely pooped out and I suggested we return home. We agreed to a return visit next week. Luckily, it was a beautiful day for a drive, so all was not lost!

I'm enjoying my vacation more at this point. I've cut the anxiety down to 1 good bout per day, leaving many wonderful hours in which to loll about, watch movies, read romances, and chat with K. We venture out into the gigantic strip mall that is North Dartmouth at least once a day. Today we visited Office Max and Stop & Shop. But we could just as easily have chosen Walmart, Macy's, Dick's, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Target, Best Buy, Shaw's, and any one of a plethora of other options. It's really quite surreal to live amidst this landscape of parking lots, traffic lights, and large fake-adobe facades. Drive a few blocks off the main strip and you enter a perfect suburbia with beautiful lawns, manicured golf courses, and plenty of American flags fluttering from front stoops.