counting down.

This is Angkor Wat, the largest Hindu Temple complex in the World.

It is in the Siem Reap Province in Cambodia

(thanks google for this image- we’ll personally provide the images once we arrive)

229 long days ago we received an email from IGS saying that we were accepted to the Cambodia/Vietnam Winter 2013 Study Abroad Program.

26 days from today we will be on our way, although it’s going to take us basically forever to get there. Seriously, it’s going to take us 14 hours and 55 minutes to get from JFK to Shanghai and then another 4 hours and 56 minutes to travel from Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh City. Incase you’re too lazy to use your fingers to count that out, it’s a total of 19 hours and 51 minutes, on a plane, in a seat, with gross food.

While it does sound pretty painful, I’d say it’s worth it– I mean we’re spending a month in South East Asia.

Now it’s time to pack clothes, photo equipment, binoculars, and don’t forget bathing suits (sorry all of you people at home in the cold). Right now, (5:27 PM) it is 81 degrees in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, but its 12 hours ahead, its 5:27 AM, tomorrow. It’s okay to be jealous, I don’t know many people that prefer cold rainy days over warm beautiful ones.

There are a number of groups, that were divided into today at our final meeting and each group will supply one blog post which will be posted here. The time in between will be narrated by yours truly. At this point you might be wondering who “yours truly” is… my name is Mel, Melanie Cleary if you want to get technical about it. I’m a junior visual communications major and interactive media minor from Seaford, New York and I’m on this trip with the photo group.

Well for now that about covers it. Check back often to stay updated.

Mel