As cliche as it may sound, “Home is where the heart is” and I feel very at home here in Laos. It’s been three years since my return and although much has changed here in VTE not much has really changed at all. All the SAILers arrived five days ago and we all seem to be adjusting well to this new atmosphere that we are calling home for the next two months.

The accommodations are great. The guesthouse we are staying at was also used by last year’s SAILers. All the staff have welcomed us with open arms and I feel very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people already. Although it is not in the heart of VTE, it is near many great places to eat and best of all, it is only three minutes away from the Lao-American College we are currently attending. I can actually see the rooftop from my 3rd floor room.

Classes are going well. Akarath and I are in the same class. Our Achaan is great at answering all of our questions and translating all the difficult academic words we seem to want to know. I am picking up a lot already as we have jumped head first into reading and writing since both Akarath and I are very proficient speakers.

Yesterday, I went up to a girl, who was sitting on the steps, to ask her for help with reading my homework. She was excellent at taking all my questions and answering them to the best of her abilities. We also got to meet up with Akarath’s cousins who took us out to eat and to explore the shops near the Mekong. I am shocked and excited by everyone’s positive responses to our arrival. I look forward to meeting many more people as the Lao-American College will start their new term again on Monday.