now entering travel hour 23...

A quick update from Heathrow Terminal 5, as I wait for my flight to Lagos. (Relatively) new terminal, very airy, kinda eerie. Not nearly enough ambient noise; where is the usual CNN stream and muzak? I suppose I can deal with it, though, provided my bag makes the transfer; I've heard horror stories about Terminal 5 and, given my track record with Heathrow, anything could happen.

Already had one layover today, at O'Hare. Very strange to fly into 2 cities I've lived in, but not to stay in either one of them. What with the odd/familiar locations, the time changes, and the stuttering sleep opportunities, everything is feeling pretty surreal at the moment. I'm hoping my second wind kicks in for the arrival in Lagos. From what I've heard, the airport is quite the gauntlet.

Theoretically, my hotel is picking me up at the airport. However, it's the weak link of the equation, so I'm kind of nervous about that last leg. I think it's just my frayed, pre-fieldwork nerves talking, but I will be very happy and reassured to actually get to a hotel room. I feel like, once I manage that, I'll be able to handle just about anything.

Look for an update either "tonight" (Lagos time, 9 hours ahead of CA) if the hotel has internet, or the next day, when I track down an internet cafe.