So here I am in Frankfurt, Germany! I am trying to type a quick post for two reasons! First, if I start out posting to my blog, I may post more than just one time while I am abroad. And secondly, if I am typing, I am not falling asleep. It is approximately four o’clock in the morning back home in Alabama and eleven o’clock in the morning in Germany. I did have a Red Bull once I got off the plane from Chicago. However, there is only so much taurine can do for a sleepy “Red Bull”.
I would like to set a few expectations for my blog posts while I am in Baku, Azerbaijan. I am traveling for work, so work will need to be my number one priority. Please do not expect spelling to be a priority. Lets be honest, when is spelling a priory for me. I will be posting commando! Trish Brown is my travel buddy on this trip. I do not want to torture her with my disability. Look at it this way, I can spell Azerbaijan. Please do not expect much more from me.
My goal is to post twice per week, if not more. However, I am not sure I have a large enough vocabulary or the creativity to write a comprehensive blog post at this rate without inspiration from a twisted taco cup or my daily dose of ESPN. I am sure the common Azerbaijani does not know who Peyton Manning is nor do they care about his ankle. I will have Mike Flachbart in Baku to help me stay in touch with some sports. He is a fan of all things Boston, including Tom Brady.
Today is overcast and a little gloomy in Germany. I must be honest, leaving was tougher than I expected. As the Boeing 777 climbed into the sky and the lights of Chicago were behind me I struggled a bit. I am excited for this adventure, however it has been a long time since I have been away form home. The world is a different place and I am becoming old and stuck in my ways. This is my chance to be Indiana Jones. No, I am not searching for lost religious relics with a bull whip and pistol nor am I expecting to eat monkey brains. It is an adventure to a place that I never even conceived of visiting. Didn’t know much about it until two months ago.
Once we get to Baku, Trish and I will have a good night’s rest. Then we will join the Rocket Center team who are currently there to help stand up the Cradle to Cosmos exhibit at the Heydar Aliyev Center. The opening date is December 2, at which time a few more Rocket Center diplomats will join the team. I don’t know the exact date I will be home since I am helping to manage the exhibit until Mel Siroky joins Trish in Baku. I hope to help out as much as I can, use my Aviation Challenge survival skills and learn a lot while I am gone.
For those back home, I love and miss you all. To those in Baku, we are on our way with lots of SD cards, HD cables, a book, a few NASA backpacks and a few surprises in our bags! We did pack our own personal gear too. Here we come!