Off to Sri Lanka and My 26th Birthday!

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So we're off to Sri Lanka tonight (technically 3:35 am friday morning with a taxi pick-up at 2am) for 10 days. We come back on Easter Sunday. I'm looking forward to a relaxing week on the beach with some sightseeing and definitely a ride on an elephant! I'm also really looking forward to being able to be lying on the beach with a drink in hand and a whole lotta fresh pineapple! There are a lot of buddhist sites that we are gonna go to and there is a hike that I want to do as well. We are planning on going north to Kandy for a few days to see some of these sites and visit a tea plantation before heading down south to the beaches. I'm definitely planning on spending my 26th birthday on Monday lying around on the beach doing absolutely nothing!! We went out last nite for my birthday dinner here with everyone since we're all goin different places for Italian food where I got birthday cake and presents. We went out last weekend to a club for my birthday dancin and then we spent all day Friday hardly able to move - lots of free drinks and champagne to celebrate!

Some more great news is that I was accepted into the Conflict Resolution Master's Program at George Mason University but have declined it as I am set on going to AUC in Egypt. I've already been on the net checkin out apartments - definitely going to get a 2 or 3 bedroom one so I'll be set for visitors. I have a few jobs lined up for when I get there but will decide on something more permanent when I arrive. I'm just waiting to hear back now about financial aid and I've already applied for student loans which was awful because either the loan company didn't have a "relationship" with AUC or there were even quite a few companies that aren't giving out loans this year because of the economy. We're not affected here by this worldwide economic crisis though they've been hit pretty hard over in Dubai and lots of people that were working there are heading over here because the economy here is just thriving! I must say it's a pretty good place to be right now in terms of jobs and money - too bad it just really sucks living here!

I need to be in Cairo for the 24th or 25th of August so I'll be home for a good eight weeks come June 24th. I hope to get a chance to see everyone but if not there will be a bed waiting for you in Cairo.

Send me your address and I'll send a postcard from Sri Lanka!!

Love to all,
~D

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