Cairo

Let me preface this by stating that I am going.

Away.

Far.

Away.

Yes, as many of you undoubtably know in a few short days I will be going to Cairo in Egypt to study at the AUC for a semester. AUC is a western style university, with classes in english, and tuition costs more than I can bare to state. Still, in less than 48 hours I shall be boarding a plane and leaving.

My first plane leaves central wisconsin, and heads to MN, where I will meet my friend and future cairo roommate a Mr. Andrew Voxman, which is the coolest last name I know. From that great city our plane leaves to Amsterdam. We have an 8 hour layover and meet another of our compodrys, a Ms. Alison.

Our trip then takes a bit of a Motion City Soundtrack Detour ("can't sleep on the KLM again"). KLM from Amsterdam to Cairo. We'll be arriving approx. 1 A.M. local time. The plan is to get in a taxi and go to a hotel somewhere in the city. Speak some arabic to the cab driver, be scared shitless, and excited. Get to the hotel, not sleep for a few hours, grab some winks until daylight. Then its apartment shopping. We want to find a nice place to live. Will that work? Yes, eventually.

The packing has gone smoothly. I've been smart and done it in steps. When I moved out of my house in Madison I separated half my stuff into "stuff I don't need" and "stuff I might need". When I left my appt. in Houston I separated my stuff mostly into "stuff I need" / "stuff I don't". Now at my house I just have to kinda go through some stuff I didn't get around to figuring out yet. I'm about 80% packed at the moment. One interesting aspect of this trip is that I have to pack light. Extra suitcases cost $$$$$$$$$$$ so my goal is spend as little as I can. More money for sightseeing.

Besides -- cairo is a city of like 14 million. I bet I can find whatever I need there.

To my devoted following -- as expected, I shall be blogging about my adventures in Egypt hopefully on a regular basis (internet connection permitting). Many pictures will be uploaded to facebook, and I'll try and "document" the experience for all those living viscerally through me. Its ok. I encourage you to go do something stupid right now -- like call someone who digs you, but things fizzled out.

Its almost 1 in the morning because I'm trying to "train myself" for Cairo by sleeping on Egypt time here in the states, or at least getting closer. BP was hard to adjust out of. up at 6:30 or earlier every workday. I wake up at 7 every morning without an alarm clock still. Its weird.

At least I'm dreaming a lot more. I think its because I'm freeken tired.

So folks, I'll keep you posted! Wish me luck! If I die in a horrible plane crash, well, that sucks for me. Go do something cool for me. Sad. Thats what I get for my iTunes to switching to Joshua Radin (who's CD I bought the moment I heard the song on the Scrubs episode, I knew about him before a lot of people and now he's all big and popular -- booo on that, because everyone things that he's "their" special secret, no, you heard him on ellen).

Thanks,

Guthrie