Waking up in the Boondocks

It's approaching noon, and I have just awoken in the basement of the Zaidis' house out in Chantilly, VA (a suburb about an hour west of Washington D.C.). As I crawled into bed last night, I had a startling revelation - I have my own bedroom here! When I visit most friends close to my age, I have to inflate an air mattress or rearrange couch cushions before settling into dreamland. Over here, I simply tuck myself in to a full-size bed - comforters, pillows, and sheets included.

In addition to having my own bedroom, the Zaidis have treated me to 3 corn dogs, cherry limeade, an unlimited supply of Skittles and Snickers, HDTV, and Playstation 3 in the 15 hours that I've been here. With all these amenities and a beautiful 6-month old girl, Rania, making her presence felt, I feel more like a 10-year old visiting my aunt and uncle than a young adult taking a road trip across the country.

Speaking of aunty and uncle, the Zaidis will be contributing to this blog in the next day or two. Keep an eye out for that!