Mariamma Iris

Hello!! I am sitting in candle/lamplight (my fave) in a lovely room in Missoula at the moment. I have a few friends that I want to see here in town so I snuck off the Reservation and am staying with a family friend. Her house is a short walk from downtown - all along the river I might add - so I am very happy with the location. Last night I met my friend Riley for drinks. We've known each other since 2nd grade because our brothers became best friends. It was so nice to catch up and hear about his family's amazing three week canoeing trip through Alaska! Montanans really are special humans - respectfully unafraid of weather and always exploring. Today was my first full day here. I drank coffee and visited with my lovely host, Sarah, in the morning and then walked downtown where I discovered some new shops and a Brazilian restaurant! I had it for lunch and dinner thanks to my leftovers! I also visited my favorite vintage shop and got a couple goodies that I will share later. After lunch I walked home to get a ride with Sarah to an African dance class on the other side of town. It was SO much fun. The lead drummer moved here recently from Guinea so the music for class was awesome. There are apparently a couple Congolese refugee families in Missoula and three siblings, a boy and his two little sisters, danced in the front line the entire class. It was a lovely start to my evening. I came home and showered and then walked 45 minutes to Western Cider to meet my friend Marion who is a manager there. We talked for a few hours, catching up on two years isn't quick, but it sure is fun. I really love old friends. We all grow and change so much and it's comforting to do it together. Home is awesome. Summer is great. Life is fucking superb.

Mariamma