And away we go...

I stayed up all night on Friday so I would be good and tired when I fly today for Thailand. The journey will consist of three planes. The first is an 11:30am flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis. My second flight, the big 12.5 hour mama-jama, takes me from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Finally, I'll fly from Tokyo to Bangkok, getting in at 11:50pm on October 9th. All in all, I'm looking at 22 hours of total flying time. So, like I said, being able to sleep is key. Fortunately, I was able to kill some time at Mike & Angelo's with Swami Gone Bananas - a local improvisational rock band. I spent the rest of Friday night watching Grateful Dead DVDs and packing. Speaking of... below is the official packing list for this trip. After all is said and done, I will go over this list again and revise it for others to use as a guide when planning their Thai vacation. But, here, in completely OCD-detail, is what I'm taking (it looks far worse than it is):

01. Kelty Redcloud 5600 Backpack
02. REI Duck's Back (100 L) -- Rain Cover for Pack
03. (2) Personal Info Sheets (Main pack & Day Pack)
04. Self-Care Supplies (In Ziplock Bags in Top Compartment of Pack)
04a. Shampoo (Travel Bottle)
04a. Body wash (Travel Bottle)
04a. Toothbrush (with Holder)
04a. Floss
04a. Small Toothpaste
04a. Listerine
04b. Sunscreen
04b. Off! Insect Repellent
04c. (2) Razors
04c. Travel Shaving Cream
04c. Toe Clippers
04c. Fingernail Clippers
04c. Tweezers
04d. Deoderant
04d. Small Hand Lotion
04d. Several Q-Tips
04e. (30) Daily Vitamins
04e. Various Pills for Aches and Colds
04f. (2) Tiny Gold Bond Bottles
04f. (2) Mini Purell Hand Sanitzer Bottles (Pocket Size)
04f. (3) Slightly Larger Purell Hand Sanitizer Bottles
04g. Small Quick-Dry Pack Towel
05. Money Belt
05a. $400 Cash
05a. Passport
05a. Driver's Liscense
05a. Debit Card
05a. Credit Card
05a. Old College ID (You Never Know)
05a. Healthcare Card
05a. (2) MARTA Tokens (Atlanta Subway)
06. Jansport Day Pack
06a. Journal
06a. Second Notebook
06a. "Feel This Book" (Terrible... will finish on plane and toss)
06a. "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"
06a. "The Rough Guide to: Thailand"
06a. Pen
06a. Sharpie
06a. Mints
06a. Fake Wallet (Go ahead, steal it)
06a. Business Cards
06a. Work ID (Personal Reason... Not Necessary for Others)
06a. Digital Camera
06a. Extra Compact Flash Card
06a. (8) AA Batteries (for Camera)
06a. Old Beer Coozie (Hey, it's the tropics)
06a. Eye Shades for Sleeping
06a. Tiny LED Flashlight on an REI Caribeneer
06a. (2) Small Combo Locks (For Pack, After Flight)
06a. Rope-Style Lock for Pack
06a. Ugly Comfy Travel Socks (for the plane)*
06a. Headphone Splitter (So I Can Also Watch Someone's DVD Player)
07. Eagle Creek Cube: Red
07a. (5) Boxers*
07a. (2) Low Running Socks
07a. (1) Black Socks
08. Eagle Creek Cube: Black
08a. Nylon Cargo Shorts
08a. Green Bathing Suit
08a. Blue Bathing Suit
08a. AU Mesh Shorts
09. Eagle Creek Cube: Blue
09a. AC/DC T-Shirt
09a. Rapids T-Shirt
09a. Cerveza Imperial T-Shirt
09a. Hurley T-Shirt
10. Teva Flip Flops*
11. Old-as-Hell New Balance Runners
12. Eagle Creek Flat Fold
12a. Checkered Button-Down Shirt
12a. Brown Button-Down Shirt
12a. Long-Sleeve T-Shirt*
12a. Blue Jeans
12a. Cargo Pants*
13. Belt*
14. Sunglasses*
15. Extra Ziplock Bags
16. Roll of TP
17. Rain Coat
18. Booze for the Plane (I Hate Flying)
* Worn On Flight

Well, that's the packing list. If it seems light on clothes, that's because it is. I've read dozens of posts on the travel boards that say it's best to just buy some clothes once you get to Thailand. So, I plan to pick up a few things (and, now, I have storage space in the pack). Besides, random Thai t-shirts and cheap, linen beach duds seem more comfortable than whatever I have here. Anyway, as it stands, it is 6:54 in the morning. The roomies are asleep - I'm wide awake. Next update... A LONG TIME FROM NOW. Cheers.