T minus...

Flight's at 3:10pm. It's a weird mix of feelings right about now. I'm used to taking Monday flights, just not ones with no return planned. As of right now, it's looking like 3 or 4 months 'til I'm back stateside... hopefully with a pocketful of good stories and a small tattoo of some Thai symbols meaning "white warrior".

I have almost a 3 hour layover in Houston, which will be well spent spending UAE money on a decent meal. Then I'm off to board what will be the longest flight of my life thus far. 15 1/2 hours of economy bliss... although I hear Emirates does roll out the red carpet. We shall soon see. I'll be in Dubai at 7:20pm tomorrow night, then hop a cab over to Abu Dhabi. I'm expecting the stereotypical Arabian character from Disney cartoons to pick me up (then subsequently try and steal my money bag full of gold--> $$)... but alas, it's probably not to be.

Until I'm in Dubai...