(The Independent)

Well, it has indeed been a long road, but it is nearing its end — this morning, we board our first plane. OK, so it’s only going to Washington Dulles, and then the next one after that goes to Munich, where Mrs. Fan and I will be hanging out for two days. But then we’ll head to Moscow on Tuesday morning, and after that we board a late-night flight to Sochi. And that’s where, if everything goes to plan, the road will end in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

When you spend a long time planning an international trip — nine months, in our case — the build-up is such that when you finally reach the point when the trip is beginning, the anticipation is at a fever pitch. And that’s certainly true in this case, especially with the Olympics having just kicked off with a rousing opening ceremony (including this incredible number), which really makes me want to see this kooky country we’ve been hearing so much about, warts and all, over the past few weeks.

Certainly, how our trip works out logistically and how the venues look will be our main focus, as it usually is on I-Fan, but hopefully we’ll be able to see more of what Sochi and Russian culture to offer. Despite all the talk about hacking, we’re hoping to snag enough wi-fi time to blog and post on Twitter and Instagram as much as possible. Until then, we’re looking forward to our very long journey…

For more posts on The Itinerant Fan’s upcoming trip to Sochi, click here.