After only 3 days being back in Dallas, I long for the ease of walking a few minutes to the Tube, from where I have access to an entire continent.  Driving from point A to point B across town is just not the same.  And even though I have tried to free myself from caffeine, coffee’s grip remains firm around my head, squeezing me into submission and another cup at 17:41 this Wigilia evening.  I’m listening to a CD Jola sent from San Francisco:  I couldn’t have compiled a more appropriate soundtrack myself to the here and now, and to the how I feel.  “Where are you?” messages have reached me in various languages from around the globe; it seems everyone is wondering.  Well, I am here.  And despite all the speculation to the contrary, I am happy.  Nostalgic, yes.  And moody as always.  And impatient as hell.  But I am happy, and I’m happy to be here.  For now.  Crave to be there, yes:  in the future, studying at LSE, living in Europe, with those people … my people.  Why do I feel so at home so many miles away from home, I don’t know.  And I will be there soon enough.  I miss my friends.  And I will eventually return their calls and drop them a line or two (the first in months and years, for some….  Sorry!)  But my experiences lately have been really wonderful:  the week we spent in London was brilliant and massive!  I’ll add photos to my gallery soon.  I’m looking forward to having this site completely transferred to my pop-up ad-free space.  My business is going well.  Enjoying the ease of professing myself a composer.  Teaching was a dream this past semester, and I can’t wait for the spring semester to commence.  Meeting new people, beautiful and creative and kind.  Just like 2004 is bound to be….