Wait... what? Emma's going to Thailand?

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I leave tomorrow! It's kind of cray cray. A lot. 

But YES! It's happening! Bags are packed, all my summer reading has been returned to the Library, goodbyes have been said and tears have been shed. The lovely Dorraine Duncan (my former roommate and awesome friend) is staying the night here so she doesn't have to leave from Kalamazoo and get up at an even more ungodly hour and in OHMYGOD UNDER 12 HOURS we will depart!!! 

Anywho, it's been a lovely summer here in the Ace Deuce with the illustrious Dolce/Yamada contingent but I am sooooo excited to be going on this new adventure.

(I am somewhat less excited about the 24+ hours of planes, airports, and other obnoxious tomfoolery, but let's be optimistic, yes?)

Big Red, Little Red, and Mama Suitcase are all ready to go!

Things I learned while packing:

1. At some point you kind of just have to stop shoving differing things into piles and start... packing. Who knew?
2. Packing light is honestly wayy more nerve-wracking than packing too much.
3. Roll your clothes. It will change your life.
4. My mother is a packing GOD. 
5. Which would make me Packing Jesus.

Ooh! Packing God Mom made peach pie! 

See you later America! Catch you on the flippety flip!

So... This is new.

Salutations!

This is my attempt at a study abroad blog. For those of you who don't know already, I will be studying abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI) for the next 6 months or so. Hopefully I won't completely fail at keeping this thing somewhat updated-ish.

Just to test things out, here is a picture of me and Peter on our birthday. I was very excited, Peter, somewhat less so. Standard.

Ooh! It worked!

Anyway, THAILAND: 

I'm super-duper excited about the whole study abroad thing, so much so that I've been losing a fair amount of sleep over it (oops). I've also been doing a fair amount of bouncing around, something  that will undoubtedly continue once I get to Thailand (hence the name of this blog).

In other news, I just finished my internship working for the Gretchen Driskell Campaign for State Rep (if you live in the 52nd District in Michigan, please vote for her because I can't), and the Sierra Club. It was generally fun and and interesting work, if time consuming and exhausting. Anywho, I'm done now which means I can devote myself to getting ready to go and worrying full time. 

In terms of trip prep, I had a minor gear crisis this morning which will hopefully be solved tomorrow, and I also remembered earlier today that I have two pre-departure assignments to complete. Fun.

Ok. I should probably sleep. 

Toodles!