Busy, busy.

About a month ago, Joey and I booked a trip to the lovely town of Hoi An.  It was one of my favorites on the JBIP trip in 2008, and both of us are in need of some new clothes (Hoi An is famous for its many, many tailors).  At that time we were both about at the end of our ropes.  Since the last time the school was closed (for one day) in April, we’ve worked more or less non-stop, six days a week.  We were super burnt out and a little desperate to get out of this town for a while, so we booked a trip for as soon as seemed reasonable—the end of the month.  Between then and now, however, things got surprisingly busy outside of work: two visits, one beach trip, and two extra days off…

Two weeks ago we went to the beach in celebration of a friend and co-worker’s birthday.  It was a characteristically Vietnamese trip, which means the transportation was uncomfortable and very indirect, time spent on the actual beach was minimal, we made two trips to cafes, and were back home within 24 hours. :)

We were in Bien Hoa just long enough for Joey to teach an important class Tuesday morning, then hopped back on the bus for our first trip to Saigon that week.  We had a wonderful visit with the Beattys, and again, were back in Bien Hoa within 24 hours.

This time we slept in our own bed for a few nights before I left for Saigon again, this time to meet up with Brekke and her lovely friend Sara.  We spent the evening wandering around the city before they returned to Cambodia the next morning.

I made it back to Bien Hoa just in time to enjoy an extra two days off while a group from the school traveled to Mui Ne (a trip full of kids we politely declined to go on).  I spent most of that time sitting on the balcony (with a fan pointed straight at me, naturally) reading or sleeping.  It was lovely.

After less than a full week of work, we’re leaving this morning for Hoi An, where we’ll be staying halfway between the beach and old town center.  It feels a little ridiculous to be going away again, given the amount of class time we’ve missed lately, but I’m sure they’ll survive without us….

I’ll be back soon with pictures and a recap!