Madison, WI

I am so, so glad to be here. Madison is beautiful, and everything seems to be walkable, which is something I've really missed in Raleigh. I got in yesterday around noon, after a fairly uneventful trip. True, when I got to Raleigh's international airport at 5 am for my 6 am flight, I was deeply horrified by the throngs of people already there. I had assumed I'd breeze right through the luggage drop off and security, but I barely made my flight. I won't make that mistake again! Since Raleigh was the airport we used to fly to Thailand the very first time, it felt fitting that it is the airport I used to come on this next stage of my journey with Thailand.

It was also the first time I'd used a smart phone while flying, and it was really snazzy to check in and get my boarding passes right from my phone. It also helped the boredom on my layover in Detroit. I was impressed with the Detroit airport. There was a train/tram thing that was pretty cutting edge. And the bathroom stalls were roomy enough that dragging in a carryon and a computer bag was doable. (When you travel alone you have to think about these things.)

When I asked the taxi driver from the airport what Madison was like, she said, "have you ever heard the word bucolic?" She was right. This place is beautiful. Last night I stayed at the apartment of a TCK friend from college. She wasn't there, and neither were her roommates, so I was grateful they didn't  mind me crashing. I wandered around last night looking for food. I got a bit turned around but I generally find my way back to where I started without too much hassle. I didn't even need my smartphone. I felt like I did in Bangkok; wandering my own way and also feeling extremely hungry because I didn't know where to find a store. Aside from the hunger, it was nice.

This morning I came to campus and moved into my summer housing. I love the campus! It's right in the city, as far as I can tell, so there are stores and restaurants as well as a beautiful lake and green things. I keep reminding myself of the winters here so I don't get too attached. For a summer, though I think it's perfect. There is a lot to do and I'll escape the heat in NC.

As nervous as I am about learning how much Thai I DON'T know, I am really excited about this program. I'll get to meet some of the "big names" in South East Asian scholarship, and I'll even get to meet the current Thai ambassador! There is also a conference this summer that I think I'll submit to. Truly, this is about building a future, instead of just reliving the past. I also brought along some communication theory, because ultimately, I am a communication scholar with an interest in Thailand. So many exciting possibilities. Who knows what will happen?