Ticketed!

As I found out last year, one of the most exciting things about the Raytheon deployment process is getting the email stating that your travel itinerary has been prepared. As I was sitting here working and hanging out at the St George Municipal Airport (we're helping out with the shuttle of some scientists to a remote field spot just inside the Grand Canyon's National Park Boundary), I got the email from Raytheon with my travel itinerary which states I leave home (from Regan Airport and not Dulles) on the 26th of this month. Usually, when you get to this point in the deployment process you're pretty much done. All one has to do now is, well, deploy. The issuance of your itinerary definitely brings one closure knowing that there exists a definite date as to when you leave your home. So now I know I have only 10 days to see family, friends, run at the firehouse, pack, take care of somethings for post-Antarctic travels, and get some climbing in before I head south. The deployment process is almost over for me. The hard parts out of the way but my travels (again) are just beginning...