Off into the Wild Blue Yonder

It seems like just yesterday that I walked into a coffee shop (Starbucks of course) to discuss plans for the upcoming semester of studying countless hours of engineering textbooks, but walked out with an agreement to travel to Southeast Asia with my good friend Spencer the summer following graduation.  The reasoning was simple, when else would we have an opportunity like this?...time with no responsibilities in which we could take off on an adventure for several months.  It would be the period between graduation and a job or more school (at the time I had no clue which options I would have.)  Most people would think of going backpacking across Europe, including myself, though Spencer had an answer for that, "I've already been there," he said.  Being slightly indifferent at the time (possible because I didn't think the plan would truly come to fruition), I went along with the reasoning and conceded to the destination of Southeast Asia.

The idea has grown over the past year.  It became a dream to hang our thoughts on as we worked many sleepless nights throughout the semester.  It became a goal to work for.  It became something to discuss when we were tired of debating the derivation of equations.  As the summer came, it also became a marking of time we had remaining to pursue other activities.  However, it wasn't until that little button "Purchase" was pressed on a deal finding website for plane tickers that the dream started to become a concrete plan.  And now, after waiting until the last minute of the last day (as usual for me) to purchase, plan, and pack, it is actually sinking in that in 4 hours I will be cooped in a plane for 12 hours. (Great....)  We'll head out there with no true expectations other than to see, do, and go where we haven't before.  So our bags are packed and "we're leaving on a jet plane..."