Provo, Sweet Provo.

It was good for me to be among your mountains and wide open spaces. I miss them when I'm East, as well as being somewhere I can see the stars. I'm sorry that I didn't ride my bike as much as normal, or read as much as normal, or see as many friends as normal, or do anything as much as normal. I simply needed to sleep. Thank you for letting me, and for letting me spend time with family and a very few close friends, and later more friends at my hello/goodbye party. I liked seeing Jessica's new home in Salt Lake and eating Abby's homemade pizza before sitting on a curb with Derik talking about matters of consequence. I love Alicia's porch as always, and willingly could waste my time on it. Bless her for garden food and end of summer rituals involving dancing and sparklers.

I love the campus that was my campus and the 4th floor of the JFSB where I previously sat in class after class learning the ideas of Aristotle, Levinas, and Heidegger, and where there are offices of past professors who are more than professors to me, but mentors--friends. Thank you for letting me see Anderson who first gave me a handshake, and then a hug, and Paulsen who does the same, and is one of the kindest, wisest individuals I know, as well as the most adorable grandfather like figure you can imagine--even when he's not wearing one of his old school BYU sweaters. I love his smile when he first sees me. It is so big I know that he is happy. I know that I am happy. I love Kierkegaard because of him, and will be grateful forever. Thank you for allowing me to sit in on Anderson's Philosophy of Film class afterward with Derik, Tom Bell, and Adam. It was delightful.

The rest of that evening was important too. I lay on my bed talking with someone that it was good, but ultimately hard to see. Still I watered his grass for him before I skipped town because I told him I would, and because he was on his own way out when he stopped to say hello. I am glad that I could spend the next day with Meg (even though we accidentally ate meat at lunchtime) and the next nighttime with Abby eating a sucker and riding the ski lift at Sundance under the full moon. The canyon was beautiful. The night sky was beautiful.