ly "Leaver". Will's first encounter happens as he's crossing the border from the U.S. into Ecotopia. "He snapped my passport shut, but held it in his hand. 'Weston,' he said, looking me in the eye, 'you're a writer. We count on you to use words carefully while you're here. If you come back this way, maybe you'll be able to use that word friend in good faith. We'd like that.' He then smiled warmly and put out his hand. Rather to my surprise, I took it, and found a smile on my own face as well." This experience with the passport agent shocks Will when the agent remains cheerful despite Will's bad mood. The good humor and friendly attitude of the agent is so contagious that Will can't help but smile. Will has another experience like this when he goes to the wire office to send out his first article to the U.S. The young clerk gets the article and begins to read it and wants to talk with Will about it, but Will is only in the mood to fax his paper and leave. He reacts harshly to the clerk who apologizes and explains that he was only trying to be friendly and "wasn't trying to be boorish". Will then feels guilty for getting upset and lets the young man read the article. At the end of their conversation Will's attitude is again changed and he can't help but smile and thank the clerk. The largest influence Will encounters while in Ecotopia is Marissa Brightcloud, a young, passionate, tree-loving woman. Will meets Marissa at the forest camp during his tour there and is instantly attracted to her. But he's not attracted to her for the same reasons as his girlfriend or ex-wife. Marissa is unlike any woman he has ever met. She's very serious, passionate, down to earth, and smart. She affects him in so many ways and changes his mind about a lot of his ideas and feelings. Marissa's style and warmth are unlike anything Will has ever known and it draws him very close to her. From her he learns about being one with nature, expressing yourself and feel...
