The Overture

P: Here we are at our gate in Raleigh. Ahead of us we have a really loooong trip. Raleigh-Detroit-Tokyo-Bangkok and finally our destination, Kathmandu. It will take some two days... I feel a lot of anticipation, while at the same time I can't imagine that we will be living on the other side of the world for ten months. It somehow doesn't compute. My brain doesn't accept the idea...

C: Piero, what have you done to my life! Ha, just kidding, I suppose we did decide this together. Actually in this moment, I was feeling quite excited, overwhelmed, and just plain happy we'd made it to the airport all packed. Notice how empty it is, that's the German in me ya'll. Had us on time, squared away, everything was finally done. It's so hard not to try to imagine where you are going, but you know in the back of your mind that you are setting yourself up. Ain't no way I know what Kathmandu Nepal will be like (and to let you in on my dirty little secret, and probably yours too, when P told me Kathmandu was where he wanted to go, I had to head straight for the Atlas). Thanks again P for being so smart.

P: You are really the smart one. I couldn't have done it without your help. Anyway, I also wanted to point out the surgical precision with which we packed our bags. All of them exactly within the puny 50lbs that regulation allows. That was a relief. I was praying to all the gods at the check-in. Every bag hitting the scale in slowmotion with the evil ticket-counter executioner ready to slice my wallet at any moment....