I don't know who still reads this, but here I am!! I'm officially back living in Boston (on my friends couch, but I'm here nonetheless!) I started working at Northeastern University and I'm already loving it. I use to work in this office (Student Affairs) as an undergrad, but now I'm on salary (EEEK!) and have real responsibilities that I'm not ready for, but I love it. And today I got my first paycheck! Which is probably why I am in such a good mood. Since I'll be sitting on the computer so often with an ample amount of free time, I'll probably start writing again. I can't promise it will be as interesting as it was when I was in 'Nam, but it will be a little view into my Boston life. Just a little. There are some things I just can't repeat.

My first week and a half back has been incredibly eventful. I love walking everywhere, just roaming around Boston, or stopping at a friends place.. it's good to be back. I'll feel more comfortable once I get a place of my own, but my amazing friend Cait has been letting me stay at her place so I'm incredibly lucky. Friday night I had a good old fashioned night out in Boston that involved so much dancing my legs hurt the next day... and I loved every minute of it. Sunday I went to see the new Woody Allen movie, Whatever Works. It was ridiculous, but I loved it. I loved the whole premise of it. You know when you watch a movie (or read a book) that is just perfect for your life at the time? I think that's why I liked to so much. Anyway, then I went to a Vietnamese resturaunt for dinner. It was sub-par. I've yet to been happy with Vietnamese food in America, but I'm going to keep trying.

Yesterday we got together for Tibaudo's birthday for some taco's and cake ala Marg, which was delicious. Then we went out for Whitney's last night. If you don't know Whitney, she was my first friend at Northeastern. (I knew Marg first, but we got off to a rough start...) Through Whitney I met every single one of my friends and I'm pretty sure I don't know what I would have done without her. We lived together, worked together, had classes together, went to Stockton together (WOO!) didn't go to the gym together, ate way too much food together (an entire bag of chedder pretzels in a single cab ride! how did we do it?!) and at times had a little to much to drink together. I'm really sad she's leaving Boston. On the upside, the reason she is leaving is to teach english in Chile! I'm so so excited for her and her new adventure, and I know she's going to be amazing. Since she came to visit me in Vietnam, I pretty much have to visit her in South America.. so although I cried a lot at the bar last night saying goodbye, I do have something awesome to look forward to. I wish her the best of luck, and I'm sure she'll be keeping a blog that I'll have a link to if you're interested!

Today I had lunch with a friend of a friend who is Vietnamese- American and is intersted in Teachers for Vietnam and maybe going next year. It was nice to be able to talk about it again and get him excited to go. He's not sure if he's going to go through with it yet but he really wants to, and of course with an advocate like me, I'm sure he'll be convinced soon. I enjoyed reminiscing about the good and the bad, I want to find a way to keep all of my memories fresh.

Things that are blowing my mind today:

1)Pictures of the universe. It makes me feel so incredibly small.

The view from the Apollo 11 Command and Service Module (CSM) "Columbia" shows the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon on July 20th, 1969. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. (NASA)

2) This kid. He is 12 years old!!