En route

I'm on a long layover in Incheon, South Korea... some 20 hours, courtesy of odd scheduling of flights into central Asia. But it is nice to pause and reflect. And it's actually very quiet in the airport transit hotel, away from the constant announcements of the next flight. The flight from Dulles was pleasant; I was next to a window with an empty seat beside me.

Learning curve with some of the new gear: I can officially report that the boots (Baffin Icefield) will work just fine. What possessed me to wear them on the plane, I'm not so sure, except that they take up lots of space in the luggage. Feet were warm while standing outside in Arlington waiting for the bus to the airport. And once inside, feet were way warm...

While were on that topic, I'd like to thank Kent Madin (head of Boojum Expeditions, the company my family and I traveled with last fall) for talking through what to wear in the Mongolian countryside in the winter. He recommended a cross between a mitten and a glove - kind of like a Spock outer glove, or "claw," with fingers in 2 pockets, for some modest dexterity. To be used with fleece glove liners.

Actually, while I feel very excited to be heading out to do this recording, what I feel right now is hugely grateful to so many people who have offered helpful advice and encouragement. Their enthusiasm is wonderful!

It's the kind of enthusiasm that showed up in the practice recording session last Sunday with Brendan and Julie (thanks!). They sang and played guitars, and I played with the mic to see where it best picks up sound. Then all 3 of us sang a kind of round. Who knew that singing 3 well-known tunes at the same time could be so much fun? (It was fun to share this -- one of my favorite traditions from the Community Sings in Leland, Michigan during the summers! Try it sometime: "Three Blind Mice," "Are You Sleeping," and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat.")