Winter vacation

We have begun planning our winter vacation.
Well, more accurately, Jessie has begun planning our winter vacation. It is really coming together! I think it is going to be a great time.
Here's why:
I just received my acceptance letter to be a volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. If I was accepted, I can not imagine Jessie being rejected, so it looks as though it will be a go! Here's a link to a National Geographic article on the park.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/
2002/10/1017_021017_elephantheaven.html
So, it seem pretty amazing. It will be a lot of hard work, but it should be worth it for such an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Here's the plan as it stands right now (ie, as Jessie has explained it to me): Before going to the park, we will spend a few days in Bangkok, and then take a sleeper train up north to Chiang-mai for a few days. The park is just North of Chiang-mai.
Then, the park. A week of bathing and caring for elephants, and maybe office work, although hopefully not.
Then, a beach cottage for a few days in the South.
I can't wait. Maybe I'll actually unpasty-white my skin.