The countdown begins!

T-23 days, and it's adiós North America!

Yesterday I bought my ticket for October 10th, 2010 - yes that's 10/10/10.  One way to Bangkok with a short layover in Seoul, ROK, eventually landing at 11:45PM on Oct. 11th - it seems a lot longer than it is because I will be crossing the international date line. Score!  I wish it was just a ten hour flight, although really in the scheme of things the flight is going to be such a minute part of my trip that it will be long forgotten by the time I reach the beach.

Now I have to figure out how to bring as little as possible and make sure my backpack is small enough to carry on without hassle, hah!  Even though I could check it for free, I'd rather not have a repeat of my first trip to Trinidad & Tobago when it took me a while to get through immigration and by the time I got out my bag was gone.  I ended up getting it back the next day after somebody had been caught trying to take it through customs and the tags didn't match their other bags, but not something I want to repeat.

The things that I feel like I ought to bring: Digital SLR and lenses, point and shoot camera, minimal clothes (4 socks, underwear, and tshirts, 1 pair of zip off pants, and 1 pair of shorts), laptop, external HDD, waterproof jacket, 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of sandals, and ___________? I'm sure things will come up as I'm packing and figuring everything out, but for now that's pretty much my list, pretty simple really, and minimal which is the key!

I've also been offered a place to stay in Bangkok, or rather the northern suburbs, for the first week I am there until I go south to the beach.  And it's free!  I will probably only stay with him for a day or 2 though, and try to find another host closer to the city center for my last day or 2 in the city.

Thats it for now. So long!