Now I'm Really Getting Ahead Of Myself

Mmmm, yes. So, in researching my trip for this summer (most likely horse-trekking in Kyrgyzstan) I've come across next summer's trip. My mission, should I actually accept it, is to go around the world via Siberia. The shape the voyage is taking so far is this:

Denver - Hong Kong (by air via San Francisco)
3 days in Hong Kong visiting Kah Yeim and Claudia
Hong Kong - Beijing (by train - 24 hours 18 minutes)
3 days in Beijing visiting Xiao Ke (provided she's not in Italy)
Beijing Ulan - Bataar (by train - 30 hours)
4 days in Mongolia seeing what can be seen
Ulan-Bataar - Irkutsk (by train - 7 hours)
3 days putzing around Lake Baikal
Irkutsk - Moscow (by train - 77 hours)
2 days (as I will have already been there once and probably won't need more time)
Moscow - Brussels (by train via Belarus, Poland, and Germany - 35 hours)
1 or two days
Brussels - London (by train - 26 hours)
3 or 4 days (depending if Mariangela is back from Kuwait)
London - Denver (by air)
Try to guickly get over jet-lag and whatever intestinal parasite I picked up so as to start classes in top condition

I'm drooling thinking of all of the pretty visas... I'm estimating it'll run about $4,000 for 35ish days, which really for 8 countries and flights is not bad at all. One has to hope the dollar won't tank again between now and then.

I need to get a life, although I can think of worse ways to spend a Saturday...

PS The spellchecker is geographically incompetent. It tried to tell me that Irkutsk should be "workouts".