Sitting back at home in Taipei after ten days in Thailand. I could write pages, of course, but it's just after midnight and I don't think I want to burn the oil tonight. I will tell you we spent six gorgeous days and nights on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand called Ko Samui (ko means island). The resort we stayed in was set aside a boulder-strewn mountain, amidst banana trees and coconut trees, and more gorgeous flowers than you could name. We (Amy, Elise, Megan and me) had a beautiful villa that seamlessly wedded the in to the outdoors. Boulders in our bedrooms, vines hanging in our outdoor shower, the kitchen on a porch - it was heaven. As a matter of fact, upon waking our first morning, we were greeted by a soft rain that fell most of the day, dripping off palm fronds and splashing in huge earthenware pots set around the yard. We sat reading books and painting, eating mangos and drinking ginger coolers, on the open-air porch with a red-tiled roof over our head and a ceiling fan spinning lazily. It was one of my favorite days there; I can still hear the rain.

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. But pictures don't fill in the memories of sun, of walks on the beach, strolls into town, and of the laughter and closeness of friends. Still, in a vain attempt to help you visualize, you can click here for a few pictures of paradise.