And death i think is no parenthesis

This last week has been emotionally unsettling, and since I've been unoccupied all day (I'm at my dad's place until I leave for San Francisco), I'm feeling it in a strong sort of way. To sort it all out, I thought the best thing to do would be to start writing about it, so here it goes. This summer has been very influential in my development - I suspect more influential than I can really understand at present. I had to leave many new-found friends and watch as friends left me. The people at Yellowstone helped me to see what I want socially. There were few Christians (besides the anomalous Campus Crusaders) who were more than nominally religious (and I mean religious in the way that we see American Evangelicals or Catholics - there were many 'mystics'). I could talk honestly about questions of death or a god without fearing that evangelical backlash I'd get at Sterling College or The Master's College. In fact, I just enjoyed being able to hang out with an...

I'm registered, official, legal - whatever - I'm a student again. The dorm is MUCH better this year all-around: location, furniture, size, neighbors. Now to San Francisco. I'm pretty excited about a music festival we are going to attend: Power to the Peaceful - in the park. Should be pretty big.

As I promised -- more pictures: The last two require a bit of explanation. These are taken next to the Firehole River, near the hot spring Ojo Caliente where some thermal features dump into the river, heating some of the water. We came to this spot many times to swim and sunbathe. I already miss my friends at Yellowstone and hope that I can continue these relationships for many more years.

The realization that my time here is almost through has finally hit. Yesterday, Anniina, Elina, Ryan, and I went to Jackson for the day. We saw the Tetons and had a good time shopping and seeing the town. Today, I'm just relaxing in my room, doing laundry, reading, and smoking with Ryan and James. I'm reconsidering my trip to San Francisco. Janne suggested that if Ryan and I were willing to get a job in Helsinki next summer, we could all share an apartment. I may do that in place of going to San Francisco for a week. Besides, none of my teachers have gotten back to me about my schoolwork, and I have the feeling that they won't for a while. I really have only one real weekend left, and I think I am going to spend it going to a secret place here in Yellowstone. My roommate caught wind of a place called "Fairyland," which is a place no trail leads to and only four expeditions are recorded to have gone out there. Because of the difficulty, not many private groups have...