Whaddya mean there's only one more day?

Seriously. Somehow time just managed to slip right on by me. I thought that I had everything taken care of, and all of a sudden today shows up and rears its ugly head. Yes, boys and girls, it's time for another round of "Oh Crap! I Leave Tomorrow!"

School FINALLY ended (Am I going out on a limb here by saying that this has been the most trying year of my teaching career? Probably. Oh well. It's the truth). I decided that the best possible way to end such a perfect year was by busting up a tooth at lunch on the very last work day. LOTS of pain later, I had a partial root canal which will hopefully get me through the next three weeks without any problems. That was Monday. Yesterday (Thursday, for those of you keeping track) I busted the side out of the same tooth and had to go have it sanded down. This trip may become known as the Trip of the Tooth. I will be obsessing about said tooth for the next four weeks (three in China, one in Philadelphia) until I can get back here and have it fully fixed. Until then, expect updates on the tooth as the trip progresses.

For some odd reason, the same bag that I packed and took to Bloomington over a month ago has suddenly become heavier. I know I am under the 50lb mark, but this is ridiculous. My luggage can't exceed 44lbs in China. I am wondering how much my underwear really weighs and how much it will reduce suitcase weight by (as in all other trips, the underwear gets left behind) as I go, how badly I really need to take a coat when I am going to one of the four "furnaces" of China (hello, Nanjing!), and why I feel the need to bring a sample size of everything. Luckily, I can chuck most of this as I go, but things are getting out of hand. So it made perfect sense that I would try to repack the suitcase into a smaller unit. Whatever. That was a good 25 minutes I'll never get back!

For the most part, I am relaxed about the trip. I do admit to being a bit apprehensive though, which shocks me quite a bit. I'm all about travel - I'd pretty much go anywhere on someone else's dime. But this trip worries me a bit. How will I be perceived as an American? Friend or foe? Am I a target? These are worries that get to anyone traveling, and I know from experience that I will be fine, but this is China for crying out loud. I am excited and thrilled to be going, but part of me is a little worried. I am sure I will be fine once I get there. Maybe I am just worried about the water!!

I leave tomorrow at 3:30 for Chicago, where I will conveniently land at 3:35 (oh, the power of time zone changes...). I have a group meeting at 5:00 and then a group dinner. I don't actually leave for Hong Kong until Sunday. Not sure how much connection charges are at the grand O'Hare Hilton or in O'Hare itself, so be prepared for a lenghty bit of time without word from yours truly.

Wish me luck!

Location: Corydon, IN
Tooth Update: Still there. Tongue won't leave it alone. Envision it to have strange iceberg shape.
Weather Update: Unhappily hot and humid. I actually turned on the AC today.