I'm leaving Christmas Eve morning for Jerusalem. Mark (my new best mate) and I are going to walk to Bethlehem for a Christmas Mass in a shepherd's field with the people from the convent. Then on Christmas day we'll have dinner at the convent to celebrate Christmas before heading out of Israel for Egypt. Here's the game plan...

We'll spend a night at the foot of Mt. Sinai so that we can hike it for sunrise the next morning. We'll catch a bus to Cairo, spend the night, and take an early train south to Luxor. A few days in Luxor, work our way up the Nile, and a few days in Cairo will take us to goodbye.

My plane leaves for Dubai on January 5th at 19:00. I have a few days in Dubai before I fly to the Philippines. Two days in Manila or maybe a village outside the city and then the next plane. To Guam for two days of snorkeling before I head to the Marshalls. I believe the plane to Majuro makes four or five stops at islands on the way. Finally I'll arrive in the evening to my parents. I can't believe that I'm going to see my family at last! Next morning I start a six month teaching job at a high school. That's that. Let the games begin.