The long flight ahead

I'm in the Austin airport waiting for my flight. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this while I'm in Oman, but I can say for sure that I am getting a little (just a little) nervous. However I'm going to waive it off as a healthy feeling given the circumstances. Fortunately my excitement and drowsiness are overpowering the jitters at the moment anyway. The woman who checked me in was a little baffled by my destination and the duration of time that I would be there. I have experienced many reactions similar to hers in the time I've been preparing for the trip and my response is usually along the lines of "I really like adventures - this seemed to have adventure written all over it" if my explanation of wanting to learn Arabic fails suffice. Soon enough I'll meet 16 other American students who have a similar interest as me for far off destinations who are looking to challenge themselves in a way that only culture shock can. I look forward to exploring Muscat with them in these upcoming months.