My flights are booked, (most of) my hotels are reserved and now my passport is back in my hands with the required visas for my Asian Adventure! Since I leave in less than a month, it's nice to cross these big items off my to-do list.
I start in Beijing and head to Zhengzhou second. From there I go to Vietnam- Hanoi followed by Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Then it's back to China- Xi'an, Wuhan and Guangzhou. I wrap up the trip with a few days on Guam. Altogether I'll be gone about 27 days, my longest work trip so far!
I still have lots of little details to take care of- notify my credit card companies that I'll be abroad, make sure my cell phone will work properly (love having a global ready phone!), pay bills, oh, and of course, pack! The end result of my packing is usually pretty organized but the process is fairly chaotic. I start with pulling out everything I think I might want, then try to pare it back down to the actual necessities. My biggest packing challenge for this trip will be the temperature extremes- it is currently 16F in Beijing and 81F on Guam. I'm a fan of layers, so that will help, but this is a pretty broad range of climates! My mom will actually be meeting me on Guam- I'm hoping I can send a few things that I won't need earlier in the trip with her to make some more room in my suitcase. Anyone else have any good packing tips?
I'm a little concerned about how the beginning of Daylight Savings time will affect me, but I'm hoping I can absorb the change in my overall adjustment. What's one more hour when you are already 12-18 hours off of your usual time zone?
My mom gave me the purple cover for my passport a few years ago. Not only is it my favorite color, but it allows me to blend in with other nationalities waiting for Customs. Of course as soon as I open my mouth, it's obvious I am American, but I like to think that until that point, people may wonder where I'm from. Maybe that's just because I like to guess where others are from, so I assume other people play the same game!
Three of my destinations are new for me, so I'm looking forward to seeing what those cities have to offer. Guam is technically not new, but since I have no memories of it, it should be pretty exciting to see where I was born. I really have a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that this will be my fourth time to Vietnam. I'm even staying in hotels I have stayed in before so there will be a real sense of familiarity. Crazy to find that comfort on the other side of the world! My first trip to China included two of the biggest cultural attractions in Beijing- the Great Wall and the Forbidden City and we drove past several of the main Olympic venues last fall and I shopped at the Silk Market so I'll have to find something new to explore.
Aside from finishing preparations for this trip, I also have a quick trip to Alabama for a conference next week, a major event for work the day after I get back from Alabama and bridesmaid dress shopping in DC with one of my best friends two days before my flight leaves. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe I should start that packing now!!
