Back home again

I'm inadvertently doing the John Denver thing again. I do want to sing today, though. It has been a coping mechanism for me for a long while, that when things get to much I spend time along, and make music, either at the piano, or with my voice, or both, or whatever. Today, though, I want to sing because I am happy. Things are looking up here at work, I am no longer doing what was causing me so much trauma, with the support of the head of school, and I am much happier.
And I just got back from Mthatha! I had such fun there. I love staying in hotels. Somehow the soap in a hotel shower always seems to lather better than what I buy at home. Perhaps its because the bars are so dinky. I love finding the little cellophane parcels on my pillow in the mornings. This hotel was brand new. They had just finished building it, and we were the first people to stay in our rooms. All thirty-odd of us. I shared with a yound woman who taught me piano a few years ago. We had the same supervisor last year and the year before. I had the most fascinating conversations with her, not least, about setting boundaries. It made me feel so understood!
The conference itself was really productive, and I was very pleased to receive positive feedback on my paper. I also just had the greatest time hanging out with a group of people who have all become my good friends.
On the second night we were there, we were treated to a performance of Xhosa dancing at the university, and I was completely delighted by the colour, and variety of sound, and novelty of the dances. What a delightful way to spend an evening, particularly for the non-South Africans from our group. And on Wednesday evening, we visited Port St. Johns. What a magical place. A friend of mine had visited it more than a year back, and so it was lovely to put images to the places she had spoken of. It was like visiting another world. At one point, I stood on top of a bluff overlooking the sea, with a light rain falling, and a red Cape Honeysuckle blowing in the breeze in front of me. The beech looked so tranquil, and the green roling hills, and steep cliffs, made it feel like a tropical paradise. Who could wish for more.
I had dreaded coming home, but not the unpleasantness is over, and I can enjoy myself again!