I’d have to say that our nearly one-month in Lao has been good. Its been continually surprising, enlightening, and enjoyable. Although I had a general idea of how I thought Lao would be, I have been consistently surprised. Immediately, its smallness, ruralness, and overall lack of development surprised me. And I knew the north was mountainous, but not to the degree that it was. Steep cliffs and deep valleys created a beautiful vertical mountainscape. Sometimes it was nice as it was incredibly scenic, but sometimes it was awful as we rode on the curviest roads imaginable and plenty of our bus mates puked. Lao look different from north to south, not to mention the dozens of other ethnic groups present (notably the Hmong). Most of the people we encountered were friendly, always offering a hello or cigarette. And I was also pleasantly surprised by the diversity of things to see and do; from the scenic north, to the wats, to the war history, to outdoor activities, to the ruins, Lao has something for all. But the past month has also been personally enlightening. The more places we travel, the easier it is to isolate the variables we like/dislike about a place. Lao has confirmed some of my travel preferences. I’ve learned that I really enjoy being in undeveloped places because they’re so different and unfamiliar. I like doing things that you can’t do in the developed world, like explore ruins without guardrails and roped-off areas. I like riding on top of buses. And there’s no better way to learn about the third world than to experience it. I like destinations with adventurous outdoor activities for the obvious reasons that I like to have fun. I like adrenaline rushes and to go a bit beyond my comfort zone physically. I like jumping off things into water, I enjoyed going into the cave in Vang Vieng because it was scary, and I enjoy difficult hikes/treks. Being in a totally foreign culture is exciting for me too. I find something appealing about being way out of my comfort zone culturally, perhaps because that’s when I feel I learn the most. Lao has also confirmed in my mind that I don’t really like to rest and relax too much. The exception, of course, is at the beach, but even there, the ocean is a continuous invitation to activity. Unlike Joylani, I’ve learned I’m pretty indifferent to what I eat or where I sleep. I enjoy a good meal or a nice room, but its not that important to me. But if a place doesn’t have much to do or any interesting history, chances are I won’t like it. So like any place, Lao was a mixed bag. I enjoyed that it was really different, scenic and fun, but it was slow and mellow to the point of boring more than a few times. But overall it was good. Its been the first country in a while that, overall, Joylani and I both liked a lot, albeit for different reasons. I’ve learned a lot, about Lao, about Joylani, and about myself. While there’s probably not enough here to draw us back anytime soon, it was a good month in Lao.