We've made it back across the ocean, and even with the jet lag and being exhausted from the travel, I can still honestly say that our time in the States was great. As Kevin and I have reflected at night before our heads hit the pillow around 8pm, we've decided that our time with friends and family was an incredible blessing, and felt much like what I would describe as a pep rally. It was a time where we were able to share what we've seen happen over the last year and a half of being here in China, and we felt tremendously encouraged by everyone to continue running the race. Kind of a slap you on the rear and "go get after 'em" again sort of feel to it!
So here we are, once again far from the ones we dearly love, and yet totally at peace and re-energized in spite of the fatigue that comes from jet lag and trying to see too many precious people in too short a period of time. As I sat on the bus on my way to class today (as the high today was right at 30 and Kevin strongly advised I NOT ride my bike in the cold!), I reflected on how incredibly blessed I feel to have the peace that I do right now. I've thought for some time that I had to cut so many ties with who I used to be back in my "Dallas" life if I truly wanted to plant my heart and my family here in China. But I'm thinking maybe that's not the case now. And not that my previous thinking really had that much you could externally observe as far as my actions were concerned, but it was more of an internal battle; a heart struggle to identify my "new identity" as Ailian (that's my Chinese name!). So while the tension does still exist somewhat, and no doubt will as long as I live in another culture besides my native one, I'm optimistic that rather than having to die to who I was and develop a whole new me, I can actually have two cultures in which I exist, and even thrive, different as they may be. As I rode the bus and watched the interactions of those around me, I was struck again by the incredible darkness around me; the dire need for hope of so many in this huge city (and country). What a blessing I have been given in this invitation to come and live abroad, in spite of the sacrifices that some days feel like they are really heavy to bear!
Now if you talked with me on Saturday, our day of travel from Dallas to Beijing, I might have been singing a different tune. After only an hour of sleep during our 24 hours of travel, I was definitely hitting my physical and emotional limits. At the airport in Seattle (our stop over city on the way to Beijing), I thought about pulling my hair out at the gate clerk's response to our request for an extra seat in which to put Noah's car seat (we hadn't purchased a ticket, but hoped that there would be an open seat available on the plane for us to claim). In spite of the fact that there were plenty of empty seats in our uncrowded flight, the attendant insisted that when she flew with her child she never used a car seat, and therefore we should not use one, which meant that we did not need an extra seat (so we would only have 5 seats for our family of 6). Kevin FINALLY convinced her that we did not need to wait for her supervisor to come and make the decision, and was able to sweet talk her into not only ONE extra seat for Noah, but also an extra seat near us, so we had a total of 8 seats for the 6 of us! PTL! But I must say, I certainly looked at Kevin a time or two in the process and told him I wasn't sure I was ready to return to the cultural differences of China and the "cookie cutter" thinking that is the norm.
On a lighter note, here are some of our highlights from our trip to the States that showed us how long we've been gone:
- the kids couldn't figure out how to use a paper towel dispenser with a pump in a public restroom, as you don't find paper towels (in public) of any sort in China
- the kids see any sort of green growing stuff as something they can trample through--even if that means our friends' bushes! (here they so rarely see green, that when we do, we usually try to play in it some before we're told by someone not to do so!)
- Hudson couldn't figure out a drive through when we went to Sonic to get a corny dog
- Karis had forgotten what a corny dog was!
- NO personal space rules that our kids knew to follow
- whenever we entered a house, the kids immediately looked for where to take off their shoes
- we all had more stomach issues adjusting back to the rich US cuisine than we've ever had while here in China eating typical Chinese food!
Our time back to Texas could not have been better, and expectations couldn't have been more surpassed. We're only excited now to see what this summer will hold for our second return trip to the States!!
