All ready, already?

Mike and I are leaving...soon. We discovered that our second, more relevant visa expires much sooner than we anticipated. This just means that our base will be much more mobile and include a lot more adventures. How exciting. Our (and by our, I really mean MY) first adventure was packing. In all fairness, I am somewhat obsessive compulsive. Everything has a spot and if it's not in it's spot, welll, we won't go there. As I am packing I am again realizing how insane I was to bring this many clothes. No, I did not need those three pair of running pants, and yes, I did get by without needing thirty pairs of panties. And yes, Mike, you told me so.

But, I have mended my ways and am back on course. After consolidating and agreeing to ship all unnecessary items back to America we are back to one bag and one backpack! When I was deciding which two pairs of pants would win an all expense paid vacay to Southeast Asia I came across these...

These are my wonder-woman pants. The pants that I put on when I'm feeling fat, ugly, tired, or adventurous and they transform me into that woman who can do just about anything. They are THE most comfortable pants in the entire world. They have been worn in 15 different countries and through some of the most incredible adventures of my life. And the seamstress lady ruined them. BAAHHH! I asked her to hem the bottom of my pants because they had become frayed. (Kind of an understatement, they look like I had just escaped an attack from a lioness) But they came back like this....guess I'm going to need some new wonder woman pants when I come back.

Mark is one of Mike's good friends here in China. They met when Mike was here in 2005 and have kept a remarkable friendship. We went to dinner one last time to say good-bye before we leave for Mongolia. We took him to this FABulous riverside restaurant that specialized in South Korean food.

Mike even tried squid for the first time! It was a great time and we are going to miss all of our wonderful friends in Jinan.

So, for all two people that read this blog, Mike and I will be heading first to Beijing then to Mongolia for two weeks. Internet connections might be close to nill, so don't hold your breath for the next post.