Hi friends (and related friends)! The title, by the way, is from an Augustana song. And today is the big day! I’m so glad I came home early, because I’ve been super busy for the last two weeks and now I get to have a full week in Beantown before orientation starts. Not that I’ll have a lot of free time, since my to-do list is a mile long and I’ve even got an Excel refresher course that starts tomorrow evening (I get there in the morning).
I didn’t really get to debrief after my trip, since I launched into a whirlwind of activity pretty much the minute I landed back at SFO (yay, Lair and visits with friends!). All in all, I had an awesome time. Jen was a fabulous travel partner and I learned that traveling alone isn’t as much fun as it sounds. I definitely need a partner in crime to crack all my sarcastic jokes to.
Thailand was my favorite part of the trip, I think. The beaches on Ko Samui were breathtaking and I loved every minute of our time down there. Snorkeling, amazing food on the beach, dry weather lightening… what more could you ask for? I also liked Bangkok, despite the fact that so many of my friends were not big fans of the city. Getting to spend a little extra time there really gave me a better perspective of the area than just the 24 hour Khao San Road experience that so many tourists have. And, of course, Chiang Mai in the north was just as cool as everyone promised.
As for Laos, my perspective was definitely influenced by our harrowing Mekong trip and the subsequent sickness (evil river water). What we saw, however, was still interesting and beautiful. I got to see real rice paddies, farm workers in triangle hats, butterflies as big as birds (gorgeous!), and some of the more traditional aspects of life in rural Southeast Asia. It was frustrating and funny that nothing could be accomplished without lots of dialog between locals and the occasional backtracking. Vietnam, too, had its own flavor, and I’d love to go back with a more thought-out itinerary and more time. Hanoi was cool, but I’d love to see Halong Bay, Hoi An, the beaches in central and southern Vietnam, and remnants of the American War in the areas around Saigon (I think I can skip the Mekong Delta).
I still don’t have all my pictures off my camera, but when I get to that I’ll try to figure out a way to post them (either by linking to a photo hosting site or putting them up here). I think I joked to someone that I’d try to have them up by Christmas. I was only halfway kidding. Seriously, the next couple of weeks (and months) are going to be insane. I can’t wait! If you’re in the Boston area in the next week and are handy with an Allen wrench, give me a buzz… I’m going to have lots of IKEA furniture to assemble very soon.
