2010 SAILers, L to R: Toby, Phouthasack, Ryan, and Akarath.

In the past three years I’ve studied Laos: reading, meeting people and enrolling in graduate school. Now all of that is about to go out the window. Tomorrow night (technically Sunday morning) I will begin my travel to Laos, which I have never visited before… and I am so excited! Finally I will actually meet the people and country that until now I have only read or heard about.

I have many hopes for this trip. Increasing my proficiency and understanding of Lao language is number one on my list. Working for a volunteer organization and being involved in the community is a close second. I also hope to engage people I meet on the subject I am passionate about, Lao history. I am eager to meet all of the working Lao historians at the National University and the international scholars at the third International Lao Studies Conference. However I know that the trip has so much more to offer than these goals. I expect to be surprised.

I am writing this from the orientation at the Center for Lao Studies’ office and it is a beautiful day in the city of San Francisco today. Being here, with my wife Natalie about to embark on this great journey is as surreal as it is sublime!