Hello All

Welcome! I've never done of these before, but I'm assuming it's going to be amazing.

As you may know, or not know, I have joined the Peace Corps. I will be serving in Togo, West Africa beginning September 20th, 2008. First off, I would just like to thank everyone for being so supportive of my decision. It was a difficult one. I have never been so excited to do anything in my life. But with my excitement, come nerves. Not nerves about living in a developing country without elctricity or running water, but mostly about missing all my friends and family back home.

I have no doubt there will be times I lie awake at night under the clear Togo sky and yearn to be floating down the Bitterroot River in an innertube with a frosty Cold Smoke resting on my pale belly, or lounging in my parent's backyard eating my dad's famous BBQ chicken. But hopefully, the tough times will be over-shadowed by the great experiences had and the new friends made.

Please, let's enjoy the rest of summer together. And if you're around Portland, let's grab a beer before I go. (If you pay, I might bring you back something special)


I can't promise that once I am involved in my service, I will be able to update this blog very frequently (I hope at least once a month, maybe more). So don't freak out if I haven't written in awhile, mom, I'm probably not dead.

(And, yes, the title of my blog is a reference to the late 70's early 80's new-wave-art-funk quartet, Talking Heads..... oh how David Byrne's soothing vocals will keep me happy during many a tough times in Togo)