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A couple days ago I spent some time with Nicole in my final days of cruzin’ it. I’m glad that I met Nicole and hung out with Sophia a lot in my last month of Santa Cruz. They helped me remember a lot of what I was forgetting about how great Santa Cruz was. I suppose any place, once you’re over it, (and I had long been over Santa Cruz) can feel stifiling but when you finally get the gumption to leave you should be able to get some perspective and enjoy yourself.

Nicole was working on a school project. Something about class. I don’t remember exactly. So I suggested we go through the flats, the boardwalk and west cliff to show the stratification of class. Mostly this involved Nicole and I walking to these places, me sitting down to smoke and Nicole speaking in Spanish with a denison of the area. I have to give credit to Nicole for coming up with stuff to do and pulling a project out of that day.

I, myself, was kind of in a daze, like I seem to be very often these days and felt essentially along for the ride. But what a beautiful ride. Sitting down at the boardwalk, watching people. Driving along westcliff. Perhaps the best part for me was when Nicole got us into the community gardens in the beach flats. She spoke with the caretaker who spoke no english but it was one of thos nice wonderful things that you happen upon usually when you are a stranger to a town.

That was Nicole’s real power and my joy, to look at Santa Cruz as a stranger and forget all the pain and anger I had been going through in the past couple months. Anyway, I am greatful for finding these wonderful people and for being able to enjoy a good sending off.

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