Abram and I cooled our heels in the Singapore Airlines Silver Kris lounge overlooking the tarmac. We've got an hour or so to kill here at San Francisco International Airport before we take off for Hong Kong. My morning had already been a little adventurous...

On the eve of a big trip, it's always somewhat ennerving to wake up to several inches of snow on the ground. The few cars that were out at this ungodly hour were cautiously creeping down the glazed roads. My good friend Barb had kindly agreed to shuttle me to the airport. Luckily, she was a fearless driver and we made it to DIA with over an hour to enjoy.

The 1K check-in agent and TSA personnel were cheery and the Red Carpet Club was deserted. More snacks for me, I guess.

It took me three restless hours to get to sleep last night. This is the biggest trip of the year: my first time to Asia! My college buddy, Abram, and I will visit Singapore, Chiang Mai and Bangkok during the next week and a half; engaging the new cultures, shopping for Thai kitsch, and engourging ourselves on stir-fries and noodles. The routing we've selected will take us through Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Honolulu. These last two stops are just that: half-day to full-day layovers -- just enough time to peek at the sights without blowing our budgets.

Needless to say, we're excited! The DEN-SFO trip was without incident; now for the biggie...