Out With the Old, Into Changi Airport

My plane leaves in little more than five-hours, my bags are expertly packed/crammed and I'm riding down I-95, facing a terrible dilemma... can I still get a slice of pizza at JFK?

Fine, that is the worst thing to think before starting the first real leg of the adventure but after everything I've had to do the last few weeks, it just seems so appropriate. I mean it's the final completion after packing up an entire apartment, then hauling it down four-flights of steps, 80-miles south to the parents' to then again select only a tiny faction of all those items to then take on another excursion 9585-miles over the ocean, packing it into two check-in bags, one for the overhead, another under the seat and heck packing a final one to bash my head in with.

To sit here now, in an SUV flying down the asphalt with my dad driving and my boyfriend in the back reading something 'important' on his iPhone, I'm more concerned about a tiny distraction like food instead of surviving a 21-hour flight. I try to put the idea of leaving my family and friends behind me, that this is the farthest I have ever lived away from them, having someone visit will involve an international flight that literally will be a day long.

So what can I impart to those also traveling abroad, about to get on that plane and not look back?

1. No matter how you word it or spin it, your parents are not going to be pleased that their child is moving to the other side of the planet. Just bite your tongue and take the tears, disapproval and even the accusations. They're inevitable and avoiding it is only going to make it worse. 
2. Never get all your vaccinations on the same day, it's going to hurt like hell if you do. 
3. Pay attention when deactivating your phone, you may accidentally turn your mother's phone off instead.
4. The service guys for your Internet are going to offer you anything to keep your business. I do love the thought of owning a unicorn but I think I made the right decision to say no. 
5. Even with three people sitting on it, if the bag won't shut on the first try then its not going to shut on the tenth try.
6. Check what paper you print your E-ticket on. That inappropriate cartoon your dad printed for his buddies could be on the other side. 
7. Shut the top of the photocopier when you make duplicates of your important papers, your black and white face in the background can be shocking to immigration officers. 
8. Planning a party with the intent of getting rid of the last of your food and alcohol is a guaranteed failure. People will inevitably bring more than they eat/drink and you'll be in a worse spot than before. 

And that's what I've come up with as my final wisdom before my plane takes off. 21-hours from now and I'll be landing in the bright sun of a new morning in Singapore.

Wish me luck! The real adventure begins... wow, that was cliché...

Update: My final meal was KFC, a Twister Wrap to be specific! Good... not amazing...