T minus 6 hours

After the most charming spring day (magnolias and sunshine!) it's only a couple of hours until until my flight.

The lead up to this trip has been so much different to the last one. The stress has been much less about the prospect of a strange place and unknown situation (to think I went last time not knowing what language I was working with!) and this time the stress has been much more about ensuring I'm prepared to collect maximally useful data - in the words of Orwell "all data are useful but some are more useful than others."

I've been a lot more relaxed about this trip in many ways. For example, I've still got stuff to take strewn around my room and have chosen to blog instead of pack. I've also decided at the last minute to take my mac as well as my shiny new EEE. The little'un (named Flynn) will be super useful away from civilisation, but the mac (named Errol, he came first...) deals with high qual. video better - I just shan't be lugging it to cafes for interneting like last time...

This will be the third Australian spring in a row that I've missed. And of course I'll miss friends and family, and the Handsome Penpal will have to get used to being my penpal again - but I'm also excited at the prospect of catching up with friends, seeing what is left of my Nepali and embracing the opportunity for new anecdotes at my own expense.