Travel Day!

In half an hour, I'm off to the airport for the first of my flights today--a two hour flight to Chicago, from where I will get on my nine and a half hour flight to Rome. I'll get in Rome at about 9:15, and then I'll have the fun of making my way from the airport to the Centro, where thankfully I'll have a few days to settle in before the semester starts. There's another Centro student on the same flight as me, and we're hoping to meet up in Chicago so that we can brave the train together in Rome.



I've had a few people ask me, so I figure I should get the contact information out of the way here: I will not have my cell phone with me. It is currently sitting on my desk, turned off, and there it will remain until I return in December, so please don't leave any voicemails. I have a phone for emergencies, but any normal real-time communication will be done through Skype, which is pretty awesome (and free!). I'm always available at my email address, which if you don't have already, please post and I'll get it to you as I'm not comfortable putting it up in a public blog. Facebook and comments on this blog are also good ways to contact me, but anything that you want a prompt response to should be sent via email.

And of course, as promised--photos!

Yes, I managed to pack everything I'll need for four months in one suitcase and two carry-on bags. It would have been one, but unfortunately I pack as densely as I write--so I've got a second carry-on instead of paying fifty dollars for my luggage being five pounds too heavy.

I managed to wrangle my family together for one last photo before I left, since Jeff will have moved by the time I get back, and I have no clue when we'll all get together again. Sheila decided that something behind us was more interesting than posing, so we have a fluffy dog butt instead of her adorable face, but she's easier to get normal pictures of than my family, so that's okay.