The Sunshine State.

Welcome to Florida, what seems to be the geriatric center of the United States. It's potentially the flattest state I've been to (perhaps following Iowa) and has all sorts of strange bugs which have mutated to extreme sizes which frighten me to no abandon.

And here I am.

The trip down was surreal and arriving here was surreal. The fact that I've been here a week is strange and I hate the weather and the work is hard. Check facebook for my note on what I've been up to, I've been here a week and the last thing I thing I want to talk about is the farm, especially since I'm finally away from it. The short of the long is that I'm doing 12 hours of physical labor 6 days a week and sleeping more than an old woman.

I find some enjoyment in my duties. In the morning it's incredible to see the sun rising behind the arena, red through the trees, a sight that reminds me so fondly of Africa that I almost feel as though I could be there. And as much as I hate cleaning stalls it's quiet time to contemplate goals and ideas and to try to focus my head on not being so scattered and overwhelmed and confused. Emotions have been high since arrival, being in a new place and feeling all alone here is not quite like the alone feeling I had in South Africa. It's good to have Rowan but it's not the same.

This week has certainly brought about many questions and reconsiderings of feelings that have seemed so true and real until now. I am sometimes impressed by the fleetingness of relationships and my emotions. Confusion has been high on my end.

The library won't let me get a library card unless I have proof of residence, that means getting a Florida driver's license (which is NOT going to happen) or changing my voter registration (which isn't going to happen either) or bringing in two pieces of mail at a Florida address. My point is send me mail so that I can go to the library and use the internet (and checkout GRE books so I don't get dumber) and feel connected to the real world again.

And that, my friends, is the beginning of my life at Dressage Boot Camp 2007.