red and brown and hot all over

i made it through the flight to tucson on only half a xanax and noticed right away how ugly the desert becomes when you build a giant city on it. the desert was not meant for cities; for large populations. its resources are limited and the whole thing feels strained. the rooms are frigid and the outdoors are baking, creating the uncomfortable burden of having to carry a bunch of clothes around with you that you shouldn't at any time need at this time of year in this area. the people all talk like they're valley girls except for the people in my class; fellow graduate students from the university of ontario, university of wyoming, oregon state and others from norway and nepal. in march it seemed ridiculous to be sent by a prof from the university of washington to the university of arizona to take a class on interpreting tree rings, but i have found out that the program is world famous. at least, that is what the british professors, and students from canada, norway and nepal tell me.
expect to hear more from me as i am in total culture shock.

my 20-year-old roommate (yes, i am staying in a dorm with a very energetic, catholic and boy-crazy undergrad) informs me that her hometown in southern new hampshire is totally flooded.