I'll be off, then

Well, I'm offically packed (three weeks' worth of clothes into a carry-on. I am my father's daughter....), and I'm basically waiting around to leave for the airport. Today was insane, with meetings up the wazoo and the less-than-happy discovery that G-man completely botched things, even worse than I originally thought he had. It also looks as though, in the process, he completely took advantage of this teeny little local NGO, which is so not cool. So there's a lot of work that needs to start over, and that makes my timing for this trip not exactly great. However, since things at work had been stressing me out a lot, I am still glad to have the reprieve. Not that I'm going on vacation or anything, I'm going to do more work, but the change of scene will be good. And despite the fact that, according to weather.com, it's going to rain almost the entire time I'm there, I think it will still be a good trip. And I'll avoid wearing white shirts.

Everyone at the office has said "You are going back to America?", although it's pronounced more like "Amrica". Not yet, I'm afraid - more places to go and things to see before I head back to the land of computerized traffic and potable water. It's odd, I've had a little bout of feeling kind of schmonely and homesick lately - although it's not so much wanting to be back in DC. I mean, that's part of it, but mostly I just miss friends and family. My peeps, if you will. (I'm so "street".)

I suppose that's all for the moment - I'm mostly just killing time. However, I've still got an hour until Hamid cheerfully deposits me at the airport, and I am descended upon by men who hang out at the airport, and who will grab my luggage and to be my "porter". For a fee, of course. I've gotten very good at saying "NO, THANK YOU", so that I can politely, yet bitchily, let them know that I would prefer to handle my own luggage, thankyouverymuch.

Next stop, Ho Chi Minh City!