Well, as most of you know, I've been considering deferring graduate school for a year to go back to Africa as a volunteer. I've thought a lot about it and have decided that this is what I really want to do. I know that most of you have not been supportive of this idea, but I hope that I have your trust and respect when it comes to my ability to make decisions about my future. Some of you are worried that another year off will hurt me with respect to starting grad...

Arrived in Phuket today. Really rainy and stormy, hoping for sun tomorrow. I wanted to go diving, but the visability is bad right now because its rain season, so unless it clears up I'll just have to keep myself busy some other way...it's gonna be tough=) maybe I'll take a cooking class! A local befriended me today on the plane and hooked me up with a nice little place to stay. Then she took me to where the locals eat...I LOVE the food here, everything I've tried...

I just got back from the treking in Chiang Mai's hills and loved it! So far in Thailand I have seen the Grand Palace, which was very beautiful, colorful and ornate...lots of gold. I also saw some other Wat's (temples) like the "lucky budda", etc. that were pretty cool, but nothing compared to the Grand Palace. It took me a little while to accept that anyone that comes up to you to be "friendly" is really just trying to make money off of you. My tuk tuk driver was...

just got into chiang mai, will be doing a two day trek thru the mountains, staying in a "bamboo hotel" next to a waterfall, elephant riding and river rafting, very excited! let you all know how it was when i get back-love

In Bangkok now. The night life here is amazing! I had a bowl of noodles from a street vendor for dinner and it almost burned my tongue off!=) I had to buy two drinks just to finish. I can tell already that this place is going to be fun.