Alone

This is a message from the breakaway cell.

“Dark Fire sets out on her own, armed only with monkey-toe grip and an abnormally small right eye-socket.”



Ah, the joy of going to bed without taking my contacts out, of opening my eyes in the morning and seeing the world with all its edges and corners. No more mandatory yearly eye exams or jumbo-sized bottles of saline solution. My backpack already feels lighter.





So I've set out on my own.




I fly into Anchorage Monday night, and in a month or so I will be on my way to Thailand.




Excited stuff happening over there, with the military coup and all. My brother's colleague just sent us photos of his son sitting on a tank in Bangkok. Uh, there are flowers on the tank, and everyone is just smiling and hanging out. It doesn't look too dangerous, so don't worry. Besides, military dictators just make things more exciting.








It's strange being out here on my own, but I'm feeling more centered and grounded than I have in a long time. It's good to be going home, and I'll be working up there and doing art and hanging out with mom and dad.


Maybe I'll finally get out kayaking, or play a little volleyball or something. I'm meeting up with a disaster-zone pal in Anchorage and we will travel together for a while. I am showing him the real Alaska, off the highway system. I'll take him hiking up in the alpine tundra and stuff. Should be fun. There is nothing I like more than showing people the amazing place where I grew up.