I got up at 4am and it’s the day of the trip.

I don’t know what’s crazier: the fact that I am awake at 4am or the fact I’m not curled up on the couch right now napping. It’ll be interesting how this little experiment works out. The idea is that I won’t be totally flat out with jet-lag (which means needing a nap between1-3pm local time for me). I will definitely still have it since Egypt is 9 hours ahead of us, but I hope it won’t be too too bad.

I’m packed, printed (itineraries, passport, essential information), yawning, iPoded up, more or less ready to go. My flight isn’t for another 12 hours from now. It might be the early morning and lack of sleep but I’m definitely filled with mixed emotions right now. This was never really intended to be my trip and to be done alone. Tanya had the life long dream to go to Egypt and she put the thought into my head. I was looking forward to another adventure with her. But when she had to pull out due to work reasons (and although I might not agree with the reasons, it was her choice to make) I had to decide what was next. I probably would have never gone if it was for my friend, Hazem, being there. He’s such a genuine person, I thought what an opportunity I can’t pass up. A local Egyptian to show me around his country! He remembers me so well from Fatbrain. He says Cairo is a city of contradictions and he wants to show this to me. So at some point I will be in the busiest place in Cairo and then the quietest; the richest and the poorest.

So here I am, about to embark on another adventure alone which I swore to myself I’d never do again. But in retrospect, what I didn’t like about traveling alone was being there alone and not able to share the experience with someone else. Alone, I’m not the most extrovert person while traveling and tend to be a little more cautious. The whole travel part is okay. All I need to do is sit on a plane, watch movies, eat, sleep and just keep myself amused. No problem. Getting from point A to point B is all good on the ground with a little planning and calm. Once I get there, I will mostly be joined by Hazem, his wife Hala and their two children (now that should be an experience). The only time I’m truly alone is while I’m at Sharm and I can handle a few days with myself.

So the conflict of emotions is a little sad, definite excitement, apprehension and the general feeling of unbelievability that 24 hours from now, well I’ll still be on the plane but I won’t be at home.

-Corinne