I had this great “Last Post Before China!” post mapped out in my head.  But I have only typed one sentence so far and I have gotten interrupted 23984734278974 times with really complicated work stuff.  I am not that sure why, but it seems the entire company I work for knows I am leaving and where I am going.  They all want to get stuff in before I go (YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS NECESSARY.  HELLO PEOPLE, MY JOB IS BEING FILLED BY SOMEONE WHEN I AM NOT HERE.  GET OFF ME) and they all want to stop and ask me about my trip.  DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THIS WORK YOU JUST GAVE ME OR DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP AND CHIT CHAT WITH YOU?

Anyway.

I am really excited.   Not just to go to China (I AM GOING TO CHINA!!!!) but to also get away from my job.  It has been a rough few months.  And of course, on my last day at work for 33 days, I put in for more vacation time in November.  Had to do it.

My final itinerary is:

Hong Kong for three nights

Macau for two nights (MACAU I AM GOING TO MACAU!)

One day in Shenzhen before a late night flight

Four nights in Guillin

Three nights in Xi’an (with side trips to Luoyang and Huashan)

Overnight train to Xining

One night in Xining

TIBET! I AM GOING TO SEE MOUNT EVEREST!!!

One night in Chengdu, just as a stop over

Leshan, spending the night at Emeishan and then spending the next day at Emeishan

Back to Chengdu for two nights

And then ending with three nights in Shanghai

I am typing this from my desk at work and today is CRAZED here so if I made any math errors on the above, that is why. SAME GOES FOR TYPOS!

I have scheduled a bunch of Las Vegas trip reports to automatically pop up for the first two weeks I am gone. This will save me from feeling pressured to get stuff up while traveling.

Also how annoying is it that I thought I could use the train ride to Tibet to get a lot of work done and it turns out I cannot because the high altitude will likely fry my netbook if I turn it on?

Tonight when I get out of work (LAST DAY FOR 33 DAYS I AM SO EXCITED) I have to go and buy nicotine patches.  I experienced a recent cigarette slip up after months of not smoking.  The last thing I need is a nicotine fit on a 19 hour flight.  I also have to return some library books.  Then maybe I will unpack and repack again, just because WHY NOT.

I also have to set up a VPN (last minute much?) and download that stupid Microsoft Pyramid game onto my netbook because I am addicted to it and need to play it for 19 hours on my flight.

Also, crossed fingers that Delta has television (they did not when I flew home from Istanbul last year) and that it has CBS so I can watch the Survivor finale on the plane.

Sigh.  China, take me away!