Pre-Europe

Well, I have nothing to look forward to other than work over the next 3 weeks. We just received our Mongolian visa and quickly sent our passports for our Russian visa. Its going to be a tight schedule with the processing of the visa taking up to 10 business days.

I think me going backpacking has not hit yet. Supposedly last night Matthew couldn't sleep till 4am because he finally realized he was going to be in Europe in 3 weeks. That has yet to happen to me....I wish it did. I am more looking forward to my hike in the Grampians on the 28th than the Europe trip. I think I am incapable of feeling excited at the moment because of the upcoming Grampians trip that is always so calming and the recent realization that I will be leaving my family and friends for 8 months. Ah well....I am however looking forward to the free grog on the plane to Beijing, nothing beats trying to drink your tickets worth of grog on a plane

Other things I must organize are my international license for the motorway in Germany and gifts to bribe our train inspectors and host families. Does anybody out there know what good gifts are light and easy to carry to Europe?

Well, that is probably all I have got to talk about...that is until I come back from the Grampians.

Yu