Finally! I've been pretending for so long that I'm not going to Thailand, just because i knew that i wanted to be there SO BADLY! and the weather recently has been awful here--constant rain, just above freezing. we've had to go to the laundromat to dry our clothes. the laundromat! as if we were one of those rich snobs! but no more--as of tomorrow, i'm off to the land of sunshine and hotness. one of the reasons i know it's going to be awesome is that the supplies i packed for a 2 week trip could fit in a medium-sized grocery bag. I just LOVE tropical places!

So the first week will be in Chang Rai, working with the senior trip. So, I won't be teaching, but i'm told it's a lot of work. I'm looking forward to it. I will also apparetnly have my first ride upon an elephant. I've heard they are delightful creatures. As happened a few years ago, Nelle and I will be staying in Thailand after the seniors leave--the trip backs up to spring break. So week 1 will be lots of fun hard work up north, and week 2 will be lots of sitting around on beaches and driving scooters to remote locales. i'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. I hope to come back with all sorts of photos, but if you're curious about what it's like, here's some pics from last time. funny historical note-last time, nelle and i had only been dating for like 8 weeks when we did this last time. seems kinda like it could have been lot of strain for a relationship...but we had so much fun doing the same kinds of stupid things, it just made everything better. I was glad to know that she's the kind of gal i could have adventures with. and yes, it was good to know what her reaction would be if i crashed a scooter with her on the back (she's pretty forgiving, turns out). So, here's the pictures from last time, and Here's a map of the area we're planning on being in the vicinity of (nothing too concrete, you know). Aaaaand I'm outta here!