Preparations

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Today I'm doing a lot of small but important tasks. So far today, I've

• confirmed which electronics are dual voltage and which plug adapters I'll need
  
• weighed an approximation of my clothes and gear (~20 pounds, or ~9 kilos) to see if I can carry on
  
• listed the U.S. embassies in the countries I'll be visiting
  
• Investigated the location of campuses of the the university in Laos (I don't think I'll get there, but it doesn't hurt to prepare)
  
• Communicated with my Vietnamese host (Viet Nam requires an invitation in order to get a visa, and the holidays have slowed this process this time)
  
• Checked the status of my packages (new shoes, a little new clothing)
  
• Begun a list of gear to locate (travel towel, inflatable lumbar pillow, silk liner)
  
• Looked at Lonely Planet's website to see if I want to buy country guides or just purchase pdf chapters from LP
  

Perhaps more later.

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