Leavin' On a Jet Plane

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

There is a good chance this is the most overused song when it comes to flying somewhere. Well, maybe that is true only for the people who were into movies when the movie Armageddon came out.

It's fun to sing this lil' ditty when your bags are packed and you're ready to go, but unfortunately now that I read the lyrics in their entirety I realize none of it really applies...

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go (Well, this part is true.)
I'm standin' here outside your door (No, I'm actually about to stand outside MY door all ready to go.)
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye (Um, just had to wake up my kids to make them say goodbye? Does that count? Sorta?)

But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn (Nope, it's late night)
The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn (Friend waiting with his car, no taxi)
Already I'm so lonesome I could die (What does the word 'alone' mean again? I seem to have forgotten...)

So kiss me and smile for me (Hug, maybe?)
Tell me that you'll wait for me (Wait for me where? when? why?)
Hold me like you'll never let me go (Okay, that's just weird)

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane (TRUE!! TRUE! This is the true part!!)
I don't know when I'll be back again (Kinda true?! We have a week in mind, but no exact date for our return)
Oh, babe, I hate to go (Who is calling me babe? Mikey? Then I'm okay with that. Someone else?... not sure.)

So... even though we all (?!) like to hum this tune when we are preparing to travel, now I have shown you that the song doesn't really apply unless you are some sad, lonely, heartbroken person who seems to be torn away from her lover.

Bummer.

Maybe we should all stop singing it. It really is rather depressing.

Wait! Don't stop reading this post. It really is going somewhere. We really are going somewhere! HA!

The purpose of this post is coming.

My point is to tell you that our bags are packed and we're ready to go... we're leaving on a (or eight!) jet planes!

Eight planes until we find ourselves in the U.S. of A.

I have plugged ears, backpack strap burn on my shoulders and spilled milk on my jeans just thinking about it.

If you know us well or have read my blog for long you know that one of our favorite things is to see someplace new and to visit friends (or strangers who will quickly become friends) in all kinds of places. So we're doing it again. But this time it's uncharted territory. It's outside of our general comfort zones of Europe, Africa or the Middle East... we are exploring the largely-unexplored-by-us territory of ASIA!!!

Mikey has been to India a couple times, but that is the extent. I'm a little nervous about Asia. I don't know what to expect. We don't speak even a mumble in any of these language of the places we're going, we're not familiar with the transportation systems, the culture or *gulp* the food! Am I gonna be eating strange sea creatures for the next few weeks?! I don't know!!!!!

We are once again, blessed and honored that this trip has been provided for by none other than God Himself. We watch our pennies all year to be able to stop someplace place on the way home, and this year God seemed to have pinched many more pennies than we could! (Ignore the bad theology in that previous statement.) Between frequent flier miles, incredibly cheap airlines (a big shout out again to Fly Dubai!!), amazing generous ex-foreign-exchange students (more details later!!) and help from the NGO Mike worked for for the past year... this trip is costing us so little. It's really incredible. I praise God for it, I feel his love in a tangible way (He knows our love languages, eh?!) and I cry if I think about it too much. I once again feel like it's just a gift from Him. I humbly receive it, acknowledging what an absolute privilege it is to be able to see so much of His world with Him.

We're also blessed, still, that Mike can continue much of his work from the 'road' and we are really excited to pick the brains of some like-minded people doing some of the things internationally like we hope to do in the coming year! We sincerely love learning from those who have gone before us!

SOOOOO we've made all the necessary preparations (or at least I think we have!) and we're almost out the door.

My biggest worry is my daughter... who I am certain is fully related to my son, yet exhibits very little of the same calm, cool, chill demeanor that he did at age 16 months. Lord have mercy on us. Literally. This is my prayer when I think about the journey we are about to embark on with our 3 year old and specifically, our 1 year old. She's a piece of work. I love her to bits and teeny tiny pieces... but I wouldn't use the word 'chill' or 'compliant' to describe her. You get my drift?

Aaaaanyway.

You probably want to know what stop 1 is? Here is a hint: There are mountains that dwarf the Rockies, there are cooler temps (50s to 80s... brrrrrr) and there is possibly some head bobbling, but I'm not sure about that.

Did you guess?!

It's Nepal!!! Ready or not, here we come!!