Sorry I haven't been around lately. I'm swamped with finals and grading. Other then that I've been incredibly introspective and googling everything possible for next year. This experience has opened my mind up to a lot of different options I didn't know existed, and sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the amount of things I can do. Sometimes though, I just want things to be simple. Is it possible to want two incredibly different things? For now, I'm considering a change of pace here in Viet Nam. More on that later.

People from home have been surprising me, both for the good and the bad, so I'm trying to work all of that out in my head. Distance is an interesting thing. I miss Boston, and fall of last year. Which is also an interesting thing because it was one of the more emotional times in my life, but through it I made some of my best friends. I'm craving a social life, of any kind. I'm definitely not made to be in isolation. Even when I do something, its so different here. Anyway, the jury is still out on everything, and I don't have much to talk about but I wanted you all to know I was alive and kickin'. 

This morning one of my students woke me up (9am on a sunday morning!) She was at my door and wanted to make me breakfast. While I was staring at her and contemplating ways to say no she said "I already bought everything." So basically, I didn't have a choice. So I took a few minutes to change out of my pajamas and sucked it up. Then in the middle of eating she randomly gets up and says okay, time for me to go now! Not sure I'll ever get over the bluntness of some things. 

In one day I re-read The Secret Life of Bees. The first time I read that book I had a serious emotional connection to it,  and I brought it with me in case I needed to read it again. Apparently I did. Is it weird when a book is comforting? Apparently the movie is out at home / will be soon. Let me know your thoughts. The cast sounds great, but I'm not sure I want to see it. Some books can be ruined, and I don't want that to happen with this one. But anyway, read the book if you haven't. 

Everything else is going well, just the last week of the semester crunch and countdown 'til I leave for Cambodia (10 days!) I haven't fallen in love with skype as much as most people abroad have, but I have been catching up with some people via phone.. I think the video part is too weird. Anyway, if you want me to call you leave your number because I seem to have misplaced my phone charger. But I've loved talking to people, sometimes a phone conversation is so simple and exactly what I need. Everyone was out tonight for Mary's birthday in the city and they passed the phone around, and even though it was the same minute long conversation with everyone, it was really nice to hear everyones voice. I love you guys! I'll try to write again before I leave for vacation (and I'll try to write back to my emails too.. they seem to be piling up - sorry!) A quote I just found: 

"We beach kids have it easier, our oceans always listening, whispering back in waves that the world is big, horizons always inviting us to dream."