October 21: I left before the sunrise, just to get back to Keene. I am really trying to learn to love it here, but it just isn’t happening. I find myself longing for home every second I spend here. I missed Old Saybrook even before I got on the highway. I think it is my favorite place to be. I drove back home on Wednesday evening, and spent most of my time at the high school. It was the literary magazine’s cafe night for Musings.

Musings is the literary and art magazine I edited while I was as a student at OSHS. It won the NCTE award for Excellence. Cafe night is a night where all of those that are passionate about English and Art can come forward and show their work. It was a beautiful night, and it made it so much harder not to be able to be apart of it. However, it made it alot easier knowing that I helped bring Musings to where it is now.

On Friday, I took a drive to New Haven to visit my friends Chad and Lara at Southern Connecticut State University. I was thinking of transferring there, but I am not so sure anymore. Southern just doesn’t seem like the place for me. Chad and I had fun hanging out though, and it was nice to see an old friend. We drove back to Old Saybrook, and then later that night I picked up my friend Bryan Cryder and his two friends to go see State Radio at Webster.

It was an amazing show, one of the best I have ever been to. After the show, Bryan spoke with one of the opening band members named Temba, from Bongo Love. The band is originally from Zimbabwe and they are touring with SR. We got to hang out with them, after the show. They snuck us up the stairs, and we talked all night. Then, after I spoke to Mike, the drummer from SR, and Chad’s girlfriend Sybil about the Rock for Darfur concert I am helping organize. It seems like they will be coming in February to Keene. Rock for Darfur benefits will be going to Doctors without Borders, so anybody interesting in being involved, email me at carissa.kerpen@gmail.com. After the show, I talked with Johnny Sousa of 3rd left! Overall, it was the perfect night. I slept like the dead that night.

The next day, I spent time with my little sister, Taylor. I picked her up early, and we went and bought pumpkin eggnog, sourpatch, beandip, mangos, blackberries, and soda. We decided to kick back and have a movie night together, but before that, we made tye-dye shirts. They were pretty much amazing. All in all, hanging out with my little sister is one of my favorite things to do.

Saturday, Josh, Taylor and I went hiking at Devil’s Hopyard. He took us to this cliff that overlooked the whole park. It was absolutely beautiful. I love the smell of fall. Sunday, and Monday — loved the sunshine, hated the chills.