Princeton:

It’s hot.

A sort of sticky stillness permeates everything, and it’s tough to move without breaking a sweat. A combination of the school year and the weather has left me exhausted, and we aren’t even in Jishou yet.

Somehow I can already picture the streets shimmering in the heat… motorbikes zigzag around old women picking through the trash heaps, shopowners hover over steaming woks of spicy tofu and bok choy. The classroom fans whir overhead, squealing pigs outside are drowned out by students’ laughter… Anyway:

Last weekend got my head spinning, as orientation reminded me of PiA’s long history: this will be Summer of Service’s seventh year, and (I hope) its best yet. Cameron and I have been working hard to prepare for our return to China, and we’re both extremely excited and thankful to be heading out soon with another- very enthusiastic- group.

Why go back?

I don’t think I need to answer this now, or here. Beyond affecting me on a personal level, SoS is an experience that has been shared by scores of teachers and students. During orientation I had the luck to spent some time talking with Rory Truex (founder of SoS, awesome) and an SoSer from 2008. For each person and each year the summer brings something unique, but there also are some reassuring consistencies we can count on. Our project assistant Tony, aka Mr. Five, is waiting for us in Jishou, along with the same old classrooms, the same spicy food, and the same sweltering weather.

Get ready, because this is just the start…

-Eliot