Buddhist<\/a> nun there and might try to take in a short retreat, or at least some meditation lessons, along with the obligatory touristy stuff. Then I\u2019ll fly to Mandalay, where a friend of mine, Anurag,\u00a0helps run\/coordinate an NGO teaching English. If I get there in time, there will be some Americans (teacher trainers) and I can try a bit of volunteer work. After that, my plans get a bit more tourist\/pilgrimage\/education-y. I\u2019ll take a boat from Mandalay to Bagan (Pagan)\u00a0to tour the amazing Buddhist historical sites there\u00a0and then to Inle lake, where I\u2019m told I can find a German-run winery, just a short bike-ride up a hill from the guest house. If there\u2019s still time after all of that, I\u2019ll find a beach and soak up what warmth I can because\u2026<\/p>\nMy next stop is in Korea \u2013 the city of Seoul (not to be confused with the city with soul<\/em> in it, my very own Missoula<\/em>. Anyhow\u2026). I\u2019ll spend two weeks there, touring around with my friend Grace: Seoul, Iksan, ?,\u00a0and then heading down south a bit to hang with another friend and fellow Montana meditator, Nick, who\u2019s teaching there now. After going it alone in Burma, I\u2019m very much looking forward to seeing them both \u2013 and perhaps even more meditation.<\/p>\nThen, at last, home \u2013 back to Montana. I don\u2019t miss it too much, except around holidays, and in daydreams about photo-excursions to Glacier or other beautiful areas, or thinking of friends there, or my sister and her adorable Chihuahua, Milo. Okay, so I miss it a lot<\/em>. But it\u2019s freezing ass cold there now \u2013 my mom told me the other day it, \u201cgot warm, even up into the 40s\u2026\u201d Ha. Here it\u2019s 75 degrees every day, cooling at night into the 50s. I like. So my big plans for Montana right now include a bit of traveling to see people but a lot of netflix and family-time.<\/p>\nAnd after that, back to the UK for school again. This time back to beautiful Bristol, where I did my MA. I\u2019ll commute when needed to London. Living in London is for the rich; visiting can be done by poor grad students easily enough. That time is already seeming both near and nearly over \u2013 as I might be back here in India next fall, or Indonesia on a fellowship, or\u2026 who knows. But in any case, it leaves only four or so months in England, much of that being time I\u2019d love to spend traveling around Europe a bit. That doesn\u2019t bode well for finishing my doctorate in 2011. <\/p>\n
Oh well. One more\u00a0year? Grad student life has a kind of romantic, chaotic, dirt-poor nature to it. Romantic with its possibilities. Chaotic with its possibilities. And dirt-poor? Sort of. Such things are relative to an extent. I\u2019m rich by Bodh Gaya standards; but my earnings have been\u00a0at or below poverty levels in the US. But neither accounts for student loans, help from family, or the \u2018perk\u2019 travel I\u2019ve had here in the last few months.\u00a0So\u00a0while things like my own home or car are far out of the picture for now, it\u2019s quite a good life to live. <\/p>\n
Just one more day and then \u201cgoodbye, 2010, hello and cheers, 2011.\u201d<\/p>\n
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