Hello all! Well I am now a full-time Wisconsin resident. I moved back into my mom's place in Madison on August 15th. It has been hard being here, just because I so love my independence, and being thrust into a situation where I am basically staying temporarily is difficult for me.

When I got paid last wednesday I went on my (hopefully!) last trip to REI (That stands for Recreational Equipment Inc. Emily!) for my India stuff. This trip was basically to get my backpack, but on an earlier trip I bought lots of outdoor stuff, the most exotic item being my mosquito net. Other India stuff that I have been doing is looking over my tour books, making copies of important documents, and explaining all of my financial stuff to Leah, who will be looking out for my financial well being over the next 9 months.

People keep asking me if I am nervous to go, and I am really not. I am just extremely excited and curious, and that could equate somewhat to nervousness. I want to know what my room will look like, whether I will like the classes or not, how much Hindi I will speak, that type of thing. I am actually more anxious now than ever, since I no longer have a place of my own to live in!

I have been mostly biding my time here, watching alot of the Olympics on TV. But last weekend Leah and I got the opportunity to go out to Colorado for a girls retreat. Eric and Leslie Ludy had an "Authentic Girls Weekend" where young ladies from all over the country gathered to hear teaching from the Ludy's. I felt really lucky to be there, especially because there was such a long waiting list. All the girls were amazing. The age range of women went from 17-25. Each of us had a unique spirit and yet we all had tons in common. Leah and I both fell in love with Colorado, and we didn't want to leave. For me, the whole weekend was just amazing, but the best part may have been just being able to ask Eric and Leslie questions about anything. It was so awesome that they made themselves available to us. When we left, it felt like we all had been together for more than just 48 hours. The time went by so fast, I didn't want it to end!