We got our 12 bags checked and finally made it through customs and security. Next stop, California.

We’re off to the airport for our long trip back. The next update will probably come from the US once we land at LAX. Let’s hope that the trip back is not as problematic as the trip out here was!

Yesterday I did nothing. I woke up at 11:30 and ordered room service. After taking 2 hours to relax and eat, I went to the health club and worked out. Came back and took a shower, then went down to the pool for a few hours. Came back to the room and ordered room service again, took a little nap, and then spent the evening in the hotel lobby listening to live music and drinking Scotch. All in all, not a bad way to wrap up a trip.

Today is mostly packing and working out travel details. We don’t actually leave for the airport until around 3:30 pm since our flight doesn’t leave until 7:30pm. Our flight is about 18 hours to LA California, and we have a 5 hour layover in LA. We leave LA around midnight and have a 5 hour flight back to Chicago, arriving around 5:30am on Monday (Chicago time) if all goes well.

Had I known how awesome the view was going to be I would have brought a camera, but as it turned out all I had was my iPhone, which is no real camera. So, these few crappy photos are what I have (the exterior shot was taken a few days ago with my good camera). Once I get photos from everybody else (after the trip is complete) I’ll have some better ones for sure (and a few that I’m in as well).

It was the perfect evening to celebrate. As bad as these photos look, they actually look much better on Flickr.

Tomorrow morning I’m planning on getting up early (instead of sleeping late again) and going to the convention center to see the last few played on the big screen, as well as take some behind the scenes stills. I’m excited because most of the time I’m still editing and can’t make it to the convention center before the job is over.

I have to edit 6 videos total before the end of the week.

Click on the photo to see a much larger version of it.

I was very pleasantly surprised to wake up today and take a look out my window. What a beautiful view!

Today was a pretty lazy day overall. I woke up at noon, worked out in the health club, showered and went to “breakfast” around 2-3. Walked around the hotel to get the lay of the land here and then went to my room and setup the edit system. I did a little pre-editing to get a few templates ready so that I can knock out the 6 pieces efficiently since time is always of the essence on these jobs. Later I joined everybody at the pool and we had drinks and hung around the hot tub.

I have to say, this might be the most relaxing, and nicest place I’ve ever stayed while working. Being away from home for so many days is not easy, but being at such a nice hotel is such a great city helps make it just a little easier.

We’re staying at the beautiful Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Bangkok. We usually get to stay at pretty nice places, but this is exceptionally good.

The flight was pretty uneventful other then being slightly delayed. We had a nice transport from the airport. It’s not often that 5 people get a full sized 40 person bus for their own.