…life will reward you with a new hello.” ~ Paolo Coelho I first saw this quote handwritten on a place mat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This place mat, colorful and inviting, lured me to a table in the second-floor reading nook of Sister Srey Cafe. Outside an adjacent window, the mid-morning sun was reaching its bright golden fingers through … More “If you are brave enough to say good-bye…

As the days between now and departure whittle down into hours, the time has come to do more than idly speculate about what to bring on this next journey. The ETA Guidebook that has been graciously handed down from previous ETAs in Indonesia advises that this experience is about PEOPLE, not STUFF. On a related … More How to Pack for (almost) a Year Abroad

Hello Lovely Readers, Apologies for the long absence. As mentioned in the previous post, the countdown continues and can be completed with only two hands…! I have quite a few updates, especially pre-departure tips and ideas that may be useful to anyone who is about to have a similar experience. But for the moment, I just wanted … More GRE Tomorrow

Last Tuesday July 7, I drove from Salida, Colorado to the ranchland around Folsom, New Mexico to visit a dear friend. It was a quick visit, lasting almost exactly 24 hours. I was there to visit my friend John, who has a ranch there. He took me to see the grounds, let me break a … More Cheers to Life and Those We Love

Hello Dear Readers, It seems I am in a new place every time I post something here, which is pretty much true. This summer has been filled with adventure thus far, and the adventure continues in Colorado at this very moment. I am in Salida, Colorado for a family reunion and to satisfy some adrenaline … More Colorado

When I first heard heard that I received the Fulbright my reaction pretty much followed this order: 1) Disbelief. 2) Ecstasy. 3) What next? I’m a planner. I make lists. I play out a variety of scenarios, ponder different possibilities. I seek opportunities, and I follow through whenever possible. I’ll admit that there were a … More Life After Fulbright: Premature Musings

Hello Dear Readers, I have a backlog of things to share (Bonnaroo! Road trip home! GRE! Goals for summer!) but for the moment I’ll touch on two that are recent and relevant for the subject of this blog: placement and Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). For the first: Placement. Whenever I tell people that I am going … More Placement and PDO

I write to you now from a Starbucks in somewheresville, North Georgia. I left Tampa yesterday in the late morning and am slowly but surely making my way North. My final days in Tampa were bustling, what with packing, saying way too many good byes, and getting a little bit of work done somewhere in … More Bonnaroo or Bust!

My Dear Readers, Two and a half months remain until once again I head across the Pacific for an extended stay, this time in Indonesia. I do not yet know where I will be placed for this time. I could be in a large city, small town, rural village; on the beach or in the … More And so it begins