We SAILers are coming into the last stretch of our grand adventure in the beautiful country of Laos. We are all full of anticipation of our return, yet we feel a great sense of sadness in the thought of our inevitable departure back to the USA. We have all grown to love our new homeland and as for me I have come full circle, to understanding and feeling a sense of gratitude to my parents for encouraging and at times “enforcing” the Lao culture upon me when I was younger. For so long I had this other identity in the shadow that I knew existed and I was often reminded in the mirror or when a stranger would ask me, “Where are you from?” In the past, I had always felt as if I was a fraud. Although I looked Lao, (although it is now debatable since my arrival here), and I’ve had a lot of exposure to my culture and spoke Lao at home, I never really fully understood nor appreciated the little subtleties of being Lao. I have realized that it is not just what you do, or how you speak, or what you eat. It is a way of life, how one lives one life in a way that is simple, at peace and in harmony within yourself and your lot in life. With all the historical tragedy that befell Laos for centuries, there is no sense of bitterness, ego, or aggression from the Lao people. They are stoic in their hardships, gentle in their manners, generous with their possessions, enthusiatistic in their celebrations, reverand in their worship, and eager for the recognition they rightly deserve in the world. It is remarkable to see how the people of Laos go about their daily routines with easy smiles and with pride and in their children. Transactions have a personal touch with a bit of curiosity and giggles to foreigners. Vices and offenses are quickly and subtley reconcilliated and loosing face is averted, and it is rare that one holds a grudge and dwells on the offense. Of course this account is not true for every Lao person, like all people, there are differences, however, I feel confident that most Lao people are described as such people, the kind of people I am proud to be identified as. I hope to find some Lao people in the greater Los Angeles area who will remind me of my heritage and assist me in keeping up with my Lao. Incredibly I can now write in Lao. If the economy gets worse for the teachers, I can always park myself on the Santa Monica pier and sell colorful name art in Lao!!!!