Six days and counting...!

Well, I've finally got my ticket, got my visa, and got my malaria meds (well, the prescription) - so I'm definitely off for a few months in Pakistan! What a strange feeling. I mean, there's never a good time to go away for two months (more, if I go somewhere after that), there's really no way around it. And our Chairman of the Board mentioned the other day that he'd recommended me to someone for another project.

In Yemen.

Which will only serve to remind me of that episode of "Friends" ("I'm going to Yemen!"). But also makes me wonder if I did something to really tick someone off around here. Because first Pakistan, then Yemen? Let's see how many places on the State Department Watch List I can hit! (And hey - the travel warning has been recently updated - yee haw!)

I've heard nothing about it since then, so I think that suggestion may have been put aside. Which is fine with me.

As I've said from day one here, this job, and the traveling that comes with it, has a shelf-life, since I don't want to be away for months at a time if I have my own family. But it's an opportunity to take while I'm young and as unattached as I'm likely to be, so I will - and I'll re-evaluate in another 10 months or so - whenever I hit the two-year mark, see if I want to make it three years and go from there. But really, the up-side about living under heavy security is that I won't have much to do other than read, knit, and workout (indoors, of course - I can't exactly go jogging in the mornings). So maybe I'll come back all ripped and stuff. With scarves and hats for everyone. Or mittens. Do you guys like mittens?

All kidding aside, however, I think that it has the potential to be a great experience, and I plan to fully embrace being there. I'm just ambivalent about it in the meantime. Well, the party that we're having for Charlie's and my birthday on Saturday should be really fun, and I can't think of a better way to spend my last night at home for a while.