Day One

I'm sitting in the international terminal of the airport in Chicago slowly sipping a latte in preparation for: 1. The very long flight I am about to board, and 2. All of the coffee I will likely be drinking in the next four months.  I was a hot mess throughout the week leading up to this (sorry Mom, Dad, Laura, Kyle, and Joe), but now I am strangely calm and enjoying the planes, trains, and Japanese conversation that surrounds me (a flight to Tokyo is about to board). I confused I-70 with I-74 this morning due to my stubborn insistence that I knew where I was going on the way to the airport, but all is well aside from that blunder. (Again, sorry Mom).  I can't wait to get going largely due to my love of airplane food but also because I'm SUPER EXCITED to go to Wien.  That's Vienna for all those readers who haven't taken Beg. German I and learned the names of cities and countries auf Deutsch.  I know it's going to be difficult to keep up with my vast knowledge of the German language and culture, but just do your best as you read along (this is a joke).  I'm going to go eat a $7 sandwich before I tackle airport security and get something confiscated.

I'm actually happy right now.  I'm just really bad at taking pictures of myself.