Orientation starts today -

Law school starts tonight - 2 nights of orientation, then full-blown classes next week. I guess you could say it's already started since a small writing assignment was mailed out last week, but that's neither here nor there.

This is also the beginning of the last few years I plan on spending stateside. I was speculating a little on the drive into Dallas this morning where it might take us - back to Russia or Kazakhstan, maybe South America, Africa - maybe all of them. In another 3 years or so, by the time I'm good to travel again, the world is going to look alot different. Oil is almost $70 a barrel now - there's no telling what it will be by then. China and India will be pushing harder into the energy markets. Japan may have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Saudi will be a few years into a new government, as will Iraq.

It also means another 3 years of petro-dollars flowing through the Russian economy. Moscow looked almost European when I was there last year - I barely recognized the place. I can only imagine how different it will be in 2009 when they'll be even more flush. Down on the Caspian Sea, the pipelines and refinery on the north shore will be complete - places no one has heard of today like Aktau and Atyrau will be producing more oil than the North Sea. Central Asia will finally be online as a major oil exporter, and have access to revenue that will completely transform the region.

It's going to be one hell of a world out there - and I'm definitely not going to waste it killing time and counting chile peppers.