Returning back to my life after a wonderful and fulfilling visit by our wonderful and fulfilling friends, I am sitting here trying to motivate myself back into the normal grind. Shannon and I had an interesting conversation (something most of my days lack- save for with Noel) about the absurdity of the pace we as Americans, and Westerner's in general, have become normalized to. I can't speak for others, but I need friends, community and stimulating conversations. Without at least periodic instances of these I get really depressed. It's so easy to get lost in the everyday thickness of "to do list's" that spending quality time "living" and processing gets put off for another day when I'm not so busy or not so broke. I don't want to forget to make time for the things that keep me healthy and sane in our un-natural and insane world.