Dear Mom,

Well, it's autumn here. Apparently it started in mid-September, but I couldn't tell because it has been an abnormally mild one. Who knew 80-degree days were harbingers of winter?

Yesterday I went into the mountains and for the first time saw the Aspens changing colors. Their little quivering leaves turn a hard yellow; behind them the sky becomes so blue your eye gets lost in it. I'm new to this Fall thing. I thought of Connecticut this time of year, of standing on a ridge and the forest below seething with color, of the crisp air just like the breeze blowing now in Santa Fe. But the aspens have a quality more eerie than anything in New England, something almost alien. I think it's in contrast of the flickering leaves attached to sturdy, white-and-black trunks. Strange movements or currents. Aspens forest are connected underground, making them the largest organisms in the world.

On the path up there, I was also truly cold for the first time in New Mexico. So, this is a roundabout way of saying that I would really appreciate it if you could ship some of my warm clothes. I packed them in the box of things I would need if I stayed here longer. Since I can't exactly recall what's in there, maybe we could talk soon and pick a few things out.

with love,
Paolo