meeeep!

Yay, hooray, and other joyful noises! I just bought my ticket for my "preliminary pilot research trip" in July and August. I'll be celebrating Our Nation's Independence, then jumping on a plane and heading over to Tonga, possibly just in time for a piece of the new king's birthday cake (convenient how the new king has his birthday at the beginning of july, too, so people don't have to change their schedules too much to celebrate the week-long national holiday that is the King's Birthday. The old king's birthday was july 4th).
The plan is to attend the Tonga Research Association conference July 11-14, then go on an expedition to find the best place for my fieldwork. Yippee! I'll also be spending a little time in New Zealand at the end of my trip, doing some very important research on the best in sauvignon blancs, mussels, and all the other wonders the country has to offer.

woohoo!