A brief update-Life is Good.

I take a break from this Thailand series to get out of the past and back to the future.

Since I've been back, I've been adjusting to no rice, and finally feel like my stomach is happy again, two weeks later. Yay! I've been busy, keeping up with friends, and starting two of the three jobs I will have for the summer.

When I got back, I went to a dinner of a huge cheeseburger with a friend and got to see her new place, went to a concert involving Jack Johnson and Mason Jennings. Took some great pics and videos of course. Here are some of Mason:

I know, I know, they are shaky, but you try being elbowed, getting excited about the music and avoiding the heads of all those people being in your shot at the same time.

This past weekend, I continued to catch up with friends I haven't seen in months, and am really just missing my family. I haven't seen them in months either and while I would love to go home for the 4th of July, I have to work, and was unable to work around it. Trust me, I tried.

Work has been great, other than driving for nearly 18 hours straight, thanks to the debacle of losing two backpacks on the road somewhere between Gooseberry Falls and Two Harbors, MN. Note that by the time we had discovered it, we were 3 1/2 hours away, in Wisconsin, and roughly 5 hours further along in the trip. So I look at it this way: I've already gotten the crazy trip where things go wrong out of the way, and now I'm golden for the rest of the summer.

For the summer, I'll be working quite a bit, getting ready to teach again in the fall (I can not wait) and next week, I have an interview to go to Africa and teach EE there, with elephants. I should probably not have my hopes up as much as I do, but simply can't contain myself when it comes to this. I'll post if I get it or not when I find out. It would probably be the peak of my entire career, in my opinion, and I won't even be getting paid. The temporary sacrifice is more than worth the experience.

Another update on the fall season is that I just got asked to be the representative from my place of employment for the RESTORE program for the Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS). What an honor! I will be collaborating with two teachers from a new school across the street to build a curriculum concerning wilderness restoration. The goals in doing this are that it is interactive, interdisciplinary and involves the community. I'm so grateful for their willingness to help me do this, as it is difficult to be at the two week long training when I am balancing three schedules. But considering the longevity of the program, it's well worth it, and I feel good. I feel trusted, supported and very up for the responsibility.