The beginning of a lengthy trip to a new far-flung location is never a simple affair.  There is always the excitement and adrenalin rush of packing for someplace new.  Is the weather going to be similar to what you've read about?  Do I have the right clothes?  Should I bring more than just my hiking boots and flip-flops?  Oh, and how much does all this stuff weight anyway?    It's now 4 hours and 1700 miles since I finished packing and said goodbye to my home town - at least for the next few weeks.  We're at 41 thousand feet over the North Atlantic coming up on the southern tip of Greenland.  The plane is dark and quiet.  Most folks are sleeping and the guy next to me is reading hunting magazines.  It has been a couple of hours since the flight attendants finished serving dinner.  The seats recline flat, although that doesn't mean level.  Sleeping at a 25 degree angle takes some getting used to..  Still, it's a far cry from my standard Monday morning commute wedged into a CRJ-200 like a sardine.  I really feel for the other 500 people back in coach.  4 hours to go until we lay over in Amsterdam.  Anyone trying to get to Nairobi on the 23rd is likely going to be on my next flight departing Amsterdam - there are just not that many flights…  If all goes well,  I should meet Craig a fellow expedition member in Amsterdam.  Craig and I worked at Plumtree at the same time.  As the song goes, it's a small world after all…