Countdown to Almaty...

10:53 AM - Mike here.

I've only got a minute or two, as Sveta will be arriving to settle up payment. The kids are "practicing packing" -- Linda's idea -- which means they're mostly arguing about who gets what, running around for some reason, or screaming for help with a zipper. Tucker is actually mostly packed -- he's an experienced traveler who knows the difference between carry-on and checked baggage and understands what it means to pack things so that they're handy on the airplane. Pretty sophisticated, actually.

We leave in about 26 hours.

Strangely enough, I'm already feeling a strange sort of nostalgia for this place. It's weird, but I'll miss Kokshetau. As is easy to do in retrospect, I will harbor fond memories...

... of dust and mud.
... of feeling cramped.
... of potholes with roads around them.
... of feeling elated when the water comes back on.
... of really awesome shishkabobs, if you can find them.
... of twice-daily walks with the family.
... of feeling like a celebrity wherever we go.
... of international soccer on TV all the time.
... of paying 50 cents for a 2-month prescription.
... of learning a language.
... of practicing humility.
... of very, very whole milk.
... of vegetables with taste.
... of more use and less waste.
... of visits to the baby house.
... of becoming a papa, again.

9:56 PM

We had dinner over at the Louca's tonight for a final send-off. Very nice. We hope to see them again in the States, as they live 20 minutes from Aunt Kathy and Uncle George on Long Island.

There may be another post before we leave tomorrow afternoon, but if not, be aware that we won't be in our apartment in Almaty until tomorrow night at around 8 PM at the earliest. Even then, we don't know what our internet situation will look like, and we won't know our phone number until then. I will email family members more details. As soon as we have our ticket for Mia paid for on Saturday, I will post details of our arrival schedule.

Wish us luck, everyone. By this time tomorrow night, we hope to be one step closer to home!