Stateside Greetings!

Monday, May 5, 2003
I came home a few weeks ago and surprised my family and friends and showed up announced – 2 weeks earlier than I promised them! I also arrived with enough time to go to my first Boston Marathon, complete with a weekend’s worth of events including a pub crawl which happen to fall on my birthday! It was great to come home and see everyone again. Austin – thanks for the birthday cake with the world map! Chowda – good luck with the new restaurant!

Since I left there has been a few changes in the family: My sister moved into a new apartment and I finally met her 5 new roommates, plus their bird, named Cat Food, who they found on the front steps. My parents got a new pet; a fish named Everett. He got the name Everett because they have a dog named Chelsea. Everett is the town next to Chelsea, the place the dog is named for... good thinking Dad!

Also, congratulations to Megan and Tim! They got married this past weekend. Not only are they such nice people, but somehow Jane and I managed to introduce them at one of my infamous New Year’s parties a few years ago. They met and never looked back. Tim’s mother confessed to me at the wedding that she thought it was a bad idea for her son to live with a female (I lived with him and Jay after college), but that once she met me she changed her mind about that. In fact, since she met Megan she now recommends co-ed living arrangements!

Anyway, I’ve been in Baltimore visiting Jane and tonight we are off to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a few margaritas. I’m looking forward to returning to Boston – all bars are now smoke free!!

Also, there’s a few questions people have been emailing me about and here are some answers:

Question: What was the glowing stuff in the ocean in Turkey?
Answer: Bio-luminescent zooplankton, otherwise known as
Phosphorescence.

Question: Did you ever sell the car that you bought in New Zealand?
Answer: We bought our bronze colored Ford Laser for $500 US and sold it at auction one month later for $400 US.

Question: Now what?
Answer: I plan to spend the summer traveling in Canada, and then travel for another year around the world AGAIN... itinerary to be determined. It’s possible I might continue with grad school when I return, but maybe not. I’ll decide when I get back.

So, the last few days (as yet unreported) of my stay in Brazil were petty fun – I spent them in Rio. I got to see 8 helicopter rescues at the Copacabana beach. The waves were out of control! And although it was plainly dangerous to cool yourself off in the water, some just couldn’t resist. It was fascinating to watch so many rescues! Although, it did take away the spotlight from the South American X Games that were also going on that day...

This is my last newsletter for the next 2 months or so, but stay tuned.. there will be more to come!!!

Thanks for reading and staying in touch while I was away. For those of you who live in the Boston area, give me a call!

Until next time, Alison