Before I leave

So I have been getting a lot of questions about my trip.

First of all: Yes! There is a blog. It's right here.

Second: I decided to leave on this trip because I was supposed to be writing a thesis but it seemed a little overwhelming. Instead, I began to think about what else I would like to be doing, namely, being anywhere except in front of my computer. Well, that was a bad idea. It seems that somewhere along the way a terrible mistake was made and I ended up emailing some language schools in North Africa. A couple days later I was pressing the purchase button on tickets that would fly me into Rabat, Morocco and out of Cairo, Egypt three months later. Basically, I 'planned' a three month trip in another hemisphere because I was having a couple days of writers block.

Third: I have never taken a day of Arabic classes, nor have I ever taken any French lessons and, yes, I imagine communication will be a touch difficult for the majority of the trip.

Forth: I have never been employed by nor am I currently employed by an intelligence agency of any kind.

Fifth (and this one if for you Aunt Elise): Yes, I am scared shitless.


Now, down to the schedule. And this is what I'm hoping everyone keeps in mind, I'm not keeping anything from you. I too, have no idea what is going on with this trip.

On Saturday, 10 September I will fly out of Portland at 7:00 PDT and will procede in an easterly direction until the plane lands in Boston at 4:00 EST. Then I sit in an airport for about seven hours until my plane to Paris is ready. I fly to Paris, landing at 12:40 PM CEST 11 September. Then I hop on a quick two hour flight to Rabat, Morocco. This is where the trouble starts.

I really have no idea how I'm getting to the language school where I will take Arabic classes for 6 weeks. During this time I'm hoping I get the change to travel around Morocco. But, to be honest other than my Arabic classes I really have nothing planned (if you have any sights that are worth seeing in Morocco let me know).

On 22 October I catch a ride to Tunis, Tunisia from Casablanca. This is going to be the most interesting two weeks of the trip or the most frightening (likely both) because all I have for the Tunisia leg are plane tickets into and out of the country. Again, suggestions about what I should see in Tunisia would be appreciated.

Finally on 4 November I jet over to Cairo from Tunis. Again, in Cairo I signed up for 4 weeks of Arabic classes. My dad, as well as Bob and Shannon Moon are going to be joining me in Cairo for a week near the beginning of November, although I have no idea about the exact date of their arrival.

Then on 4 December I board a plane in Cairo that will take me to Copenhagen and from Copenhagen I get a direct flight back to Portland.

I'll toss up another post before I leave about what I'm taking with me so everyone who wants to can tell me what I have forgot to pack. Then the next you'll hear of me I'll be in the other hemisphere.

Wish me luck because I'm pretty sure I'll need a lot of it.