In Search of Down

My mother has called me seven times since I told her the news of my next big adventure to tell me how exciting this is. Most of my adventures are everyday, incidental. Most of my adventures are planned months in advance, not days, and this time it's as if she feels an urge to get it all out in the short time before I leave, eager to call me the moment she thinks she might burst to say "do you know how EXCITING this is?"

She can hardly contain herself. To be honest? Neither can I.

So, here goes: I'm about to spend the next two weeks in Utah offering a newbie's perspective of the Sundance Film Festival at the Festival's official blog. I have highly fashionable and amazing shoes to fill; in previous years, the role was filled by your favorite smiler and mine, Evany Thomas. I take up her torch with the utmost respect for my predecessor's craft, and the hope that I don't drop that poor torch in a slushy patch on Park City's Main Street.

There's little more to say about it for the time being other than what I've written over there; I'm busying myself with trying to imagine how one packs for Sundance, which mostly involves staring obsessively at other people's down jackets. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that it's kind of getting out of hand; one poor girl moved further down the subway platform Thursday night because I couldn't take my eyes off her jacket, trying to identify a telltale logo on the zipper or cuff. At least I didn't try to reach into the back of her hood and pull out the tag. That's something, right?

I wasn't kidding when I said it's going to be an adventure. I may come home with swollen popcorn belly. With a few extra bags under my eyes. I hope I'll have more stories to tell. I hope there aren't any loud, snarky robots in the row in front of me. I hope to catch a glimpse of Joan Jett.

Yes, Mom. I know exactly how exciting this is.

Feel free to follow the Sundance RSS feed, or keep checking in here, where I'll be reposting when I can.

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