So far, July has been filled with preparations.

The most pressing upcoming event is my summer break in Beijing. There is a definite plan, but we encountered our first roadblock when we found out that the visa application for China had changed. For two days there was panic as we tried to sort out a way to get around the new rules. As it stands, we think it's taken care of, even if it's not the most honest thing I've ever done.

There's also the issue of the final day of work. We still don't know when the last day of work is, so we haven't been able to make any plans for the Southeast Asia trip (which is, in itself another huge obstacle to work through).

I've spent most of the last month consumed with the World Cup. For a while it was fun because all of the kids were so excited about it, but since Korea was eliminated the WC is no longer spoken of. I'm excited because Spain is still in. Spain is the only reason I care about soccer, since it was forced on me while I lived there. This weekend will be very exciting, though I will not miss going to bed at 5:30 in the morning when the games end!

Only about a month and a half left!