Well, I'm off...

Well, I'm off...

After almost two months in Houston, wasting away in the heat and boredom (efforts to alleviate the latter consisted of massive consumption of footwear and reversion to Dungeons and Dragons) I have finally departed for Vietnam.

My mom was pretty upset, having now lost both her girls across the Pacific. She takes some comfort in the fact that my sister and I will live together in Hanoi. I haven't lived in the same continent (much less in the same house) with my sister in over eight years, so who knows if we'll even get along! Will keep you posted.

I (thankfully) don't have the predeparture jitters--I'm trying to keep my expectations low so as to be pleasantly surprised in the near future. I spoke to a slew of my friends before departure (thanks Amy, Jen, Rebekah, Brooks, Larissa and Amanda), which made me miss and appreciate them a lot more.

Hellish airport experience--after meticulously packing each piece of baggage at home (which entailed me sitting on them just to close them shut), one of my suitcases weighed 20 pounds over the 70-lbs. limit. So my mom and I had to open all our luggage and redistribute the weight in the middle of the airport lobby. (Imagine me, frazzled and sleep-deprived, with my stuff strewn all over the place.) In the end, I had to decide which of my personal belongings I could live without in Vietnam (not an easy task, lemme tell you).

The plane that is currently taking me farther and farther away from home is also taking me farther and farther away from my mental and physical comfort zone. I still have a vague feeling of confusion as to what exactly I'm supposed to be doing in Vietnam. Something about a dissertation, I know, but what that entails, I haven't a clue. I'll learn soon enough, I'm sure, but I hope it involves some adventure...

I am currently flying over the Pacific Ocean, en route to Hong Kong and then to Saigon (for some strange reason, I refuse to call it Ho Chi Minh City). There is a screaming baby somewhere in the cabin, someone uncourteously slathered on too much Vicks Vaporub, and someone has motion sickness in the row in front of me. Thank god for ear plugs...

Luckily I have a three-seat row all to myself, so I can stretch out across them. The woman sitting bitch in the next aisle looks at me with envious eyes whenever my eyes would open out of its blissful sleepy state.

Song currently playing on iPod: Mad World (Gary Jules)

I'm a little nervous about checking the time, in the fear that only an hour has passed, and I still have 14 more till Hong Kong (Yay for duty free!!!). Its strange--I love to travel, but I actually hate the act of traveling itself: planes, airports, baggage, customs. If anyone successfully invents teleportation, I'm first in line.

Eight more hours!?!?