Hello folks! Hello indeed! Could I say I am excited? I could...but that would be very much an understatement. The nerves are kicking in like a giant bolt of lightning. So this is it, I am finally meeting many of the geeks behind the project. My fellow dear co-workers. I look forward especially to building friendships with some team members who I perhaps don't talk to too much right now and of course putting an actual face behind the ones I do chat with a lot. Of course I look forward to meeting Jay, we are so tight with each other it seems.
Compose I shall, a list of the essential things I need to bring with me:
- My dear love...my laptop.
- Power adapter that gives my love her source of energy.
- My dear brain, sanity, lovely charm, wit and personality...
- Nintendo DS (For the plane ride)
- My ID
- My debit card
- A small 8 year old handheld PC (It was given to my brother recently).
- Gamecube controller (Someone is bringing a Wii so I agreed to bring an extra controller
) - Clothes, clothes and more clothes (Shirts, Pants, Boxers, Pink robe )
- Wireless router
- Cellphone
- Zen MP3 player
- Digital Camera (I will have some studly pics taken of me )
- Carry-on + Suitcase (No...really? )
- Little journal to record thoughts, experiences, etc
- My mojo!
- A few books
- Deodorant and stuff like that
For fun, I thought it would be interesting to note things I expect from the trip before it begins that I can directly compare with after the trip is over.
December 26, 2007 (Predictions for trip)
- Will the team members that attend be extremely geeky?
You bet your horses they will be geeky. They will make me look a total jock when standing in front of them. - What will the weather be like?
Hooooot, in particularly compared to where I currently am. - How much time will you spend on the computer?
Hopefully not too much time! But I do want to pop online to this forum a few times a day. - Person you will have the best conversation with?
Probably good ol' Jay. 
I want to ask him for advice on girls. Maybe he will pretend to be a girl (throw on a wig and talk in a high pitch voice) and I can have a conversation with her, Juanita. (KIDDING OF COURSE ) - The Grand Canyons, just how awesome will that be?
You know I expect it to be pretty awesome, but seeing it in person will probably be a experience I will have to be there for to get the full scope of her beauty. - Going to meet any lovely Western girls?
Me? Nope! I think I will stick to the lovely pool of girls NY has to offer. - Am I going to leave as a changed man?
Wouldn't that be interesting if that happened! I do expect to work on my social skills while I am there and so we will see if the experience does anything for me. - Will a lot of important stuff and good discussion occur from the actual meetings?
No doubt in my mind it will be productive. There are just certain advantages to having face to face encounters that computer communication just can't offer quite as well. - Will each of the roommates you have throughout the trip freak you out?
Yeah...probably.
And that is all from me for now! Shortly after the trip begins I plan to write almost daily blog entries of the trip. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show.
Cheers for the MotM! May it be the experience of a lifetime for me and all the members attending!
-akabugeyes
