My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

Well, I managed to pack a suitcase between 45 and 50lbs. I'm unsure exactly how heavy it is, but I suppose I'll find that out on Friday. It's tough to gauge while holding a heavy suitcase in one hand and balancing on a scale. If the Russian airline makes me pay a fee anyway (the limit is 44lbs.) so be it. I did the best I can.

My mom and I are driving to Chicago tomorrow to spend the night before my flight on Friday afternoon. We didn't want to deal with traffic on the day of or a cancellation of an Indy-to-Chicago flight, so we decided to drive. It's about 3 hours by car, and I get to see two VIPs while I am there. I think it was the best choice.

I fly out Friday evening from O'Hare and arrive in Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. I have a long layover tour of Moscow before I get on a Russian domestic flight to Irkutsk. I'm expecting the jet-lag to be epic...I leave on Friday around 5pm and arrive Sunday at 7am local time. At least I have Sunday to sleep before beginning classes on Monday.

Indianapolis got 11 inches of snow between last night and this morning. It's another little taste of Siberia, a la Indiana. Thanks for confirming my love of snow.

I am the only one on this blog still in the 'States. I suppose I should enjoy it--eat lots of peanut butter, wear sweatpants in public, that kind of thing. ;-) I'll post again as soon as I get internet access in Irkutsk!