First Off:
Hey! I hope all of you are doing well and watching all of ASU’s college football games for me, as I am definitely missing it … for some strange reason the games aren’t broadcasted over here!
In case you didn’t know, most social networks are blocked in China, and therefore it is almost impossible to post a blog. So, I figured that I would send out a little newsletter of sorts to update you guys on what is new with me. However, it looks like I will be getting blog back sooner rather than later, so go ahead and check there for stories, pictures and updates.

The Old Plan:
Well, as most of you knew, I was supposed to be living in Shenzhen, China, for the next 10 months or so, teaching English to Chinese children.
However, as most things in life continually do, things changed. The job turned out to be an entirely different job to what I had committed to before hoping on the plane...and paired with a variety of other factors, it wasn’t the job or city for me. I will no longer be living in China, instead I will be going back to Portland to soak up some time with my parents, friends, and homely comforts, before joining the Peace Corps in June.
China really is an amazing place, and I will miss the culture and the people a lot. Genuinely, if you ever get the chance, do visit, and soak up and experience all that is the Chinese way and the Chinese culture.


The New Plan:
I am sure you have all heard the expression ‘When in Rome’, well, I would like to
replace Rome with Southeast Asia. I am sure at some point when I have talked to any of you, I have mentioned my love for Southeast Asia and my desires to backpack throughout this region. Well, it seems that the time has come! “When in Southeast Asia”! Since I am heading back to America, and then it seems, heading onto Africa, I am making one last trip!
On Monday, we will head out and take the train from Shenzhen to Hanoi, Vietnam. From there, we will spend the next 5 weeks backpacking south down the coast of Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City and through the Mekong Delta and then head west to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and visit the Angkor Wat temples in Northern Cambodia, and then go to Bangkok to fly back to Shenzhen as cheaply as possible.
I am so excited for this trip...it has always been a dream of mine to trek from
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. And, after spending the last few weeks dreaming and researching, I couldn’t be more excited to go. For all the ‘parents’ out there...we will be careful, we will be smart, we will take pictures and we will have fun, so there is no need to worry!

The Blog:
I am really hoping that I will be able to post blog updates while we are out on the road. I have no doubts that I will be learning a ton about myself and the Vietnamese and Cambodian peoples and cultures, and I would love to share that on the blog...I can’t make any promises about internet cafes though! Check there if you are interested, otherwise, I am sure you will be hearing from me when I get back home! :)

Hope you are all well...much love.