Okay, so I jumped the gun a little. . .

So, those close friends of mine that got that email from me last week, you may want to chock it up to my typical rantings when I get in a mood and think I've made up my mind. . .and then change it again. Something about the impending birth of Uma and finding out the next child in my brother's clan is going to be a girl had made me a little homesick. I'm really missing you guys in the States, but I don't really miss the States (if you catch my drift). By the next day of sending out the email and getting the wonderful responses from you guys, I realized as much as I want to be back with you all, I can't give up on opportunities to experience as much as I can before it's time to come back to the western hemisphere and be a suedo-adult again. Hopefully, I should be able to take two months and have enough money to basically go wherever I want. How can anyone pass that up???




So then the next dilemma arises- where to go? I have been talking and thinking about this a lot. Those of you who know me well know about my passion for the continent of Africa and this strange obsession with lands I've never seen. I ended up kind of ruling it out because some of the countries I want to see just aren't safe for a single gal traveler like myself. Or, perhaps not that those countries are not "safe," but just that I am not savvy enough to do it on my own. So then, with my recently renewed fascination with Eastern philosophy, I started thinking Asia. India and Nepal, perhaps? But I could spend two months in India alone easy and I am not sure about Nepal's politics at the moment. So then it brings me to Southeast Asia- perhaps a tour of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and some bits of Thailand I didn't see last time. There are just so many phenomenal places in this world, I just can't decide! Chats with friends here and a little forward Julia sent me has got me thinking about Africa again, though. There are plenty of amazing countries there that would be just as amazing as the ones I've dreamt of living in since I was little. Now, I have got Brianna on the scent and I am working on her to leave her job early and go with me. We even started thinking tonight we could both find short-term volunteer projects somewhere on the continent and relinquish that lingering desire to join the Peace Corps. Perhaps it's just The Constant Gardener on her brain.




Who knows folks??? I can say that regardless in the next year I will be home. Even if something crazy happens and I don't come back for good, I will visit! I think I am just a bit giddy and optimistic because I have a new crush, and I don't get those very often. But no worries, I'll settle down eventually somewhere, and I have strong reason to believe it will be with you all back home.