God Bless AMERICA!

We finally made it home late on Friday night. We have never been so happy to be home in our lives. The trip to China was truly life-changing and an experience of a lifetime.

The last 2 days in China went something like this:

Last day in GZ:

We had breakfast and then went to pick up our last laundry. We had everything cleaned except the clothes we had on just before leaving so that we would not show up at home with smelly laundry to do. We did some last minute shopping and then repacked and weighed all of the luggage. We had a last minute snack at the deli next to the White Swan and then went down at 4 to check out. We met the other families going to the airport and got our visa packets from Kelly who had picked them up at the US Consulate that afternoon and boarded the bus to the airport.

The trip to the airport took about 45-50 minutes. About 10 miles out the shifter linkage broke and the bus was hung up in 4th gear. We had 1 last toll station to go through and the driver nearly fried the clutch trying to get the bus to take off in 4th gear again. By the time we reached the terminal it was fried and he could not make it up to the concourse that we needed. Instead he coasted down to the downstairs portion of the concourse and we unloaded our luggage on the sidewalk. Kelly was able to round up a few carts and we all headed for an elevator to get to the right level. It took another 15 minutes for us to take turns getting to the elevator and then a mad dash to the ticket counter to check bags and get our boarding passes. At the counter a group of European businessmen with a Chinese guide were arguing with the ticket agent about a silly duffel bag that they wanted to check. After 45 minutes the line was almost out the door and everybody else was freaking out because the Gate was due to close in just 15. We were all complaining LOUDLY by the time they opened another line and when I left the duffel bag gang had still not moved. By the time we got to our turn the plane was so booked that we could not all sit together. Lian and I in row 37, Joy and Olivia in 58. We had just 7 minutes to get to the gate and it was at the other end of the concourse. I took all of the carry-on bags and made a dash to hold the gate. We made it just in time and the flight was on time for a change. After 3 hours we landed at Beijing, collected our luggage and made it to the hotel around midnight. We ordered room service since the hotel restaurant was closed but the girls were asleep by the time it arrived. Olivia got back up to eat a little but Lian was a goner.

The next morning we woke up around 8 China time and went to breakfast. After breakfast we repacked the luggage again and waited to checkout. The 3 families that stayed together met at 12:45 and headed back to the airport to catch our flight home. We checked in, found our gate and spent the rest of our Chinese money on snacks and the like and waited for our plane to arrive. At 4:20 Chinese time our plane left for Chicago. Since this was a direct flight and a Friday afternoon flight, it was booked. I only saw about 3-4 empty seats which meant no room to spread out or rest. The flight was uneventful but there was no rest for the weary. The girls each slept in their seats for about 4-5 hours of the 13 hour flight but Joy and I only nodded a few times. The plane landed on time at 4:15 PM Chicago time or 5:15 AM to us and then the customs circus began. What a joke, it went something like this.

We exited the plane and walked about a mile through the terminal dragging bags, paperwork and very ill kids. We went to the first set of lines for a passport check. 30 minutes in line and then our passports and Lian's naturalization papers checked. We were then told to pick up our checked bags and go to the customs line. We found a cart, finally, and went to collect our bags. Then we took them to the second line to wait to clear customs. We went through to the proper station and gave our paperwork to the agent who told us to park our luggage and wait in the seating area for our name to be called. 30-40 minutes later, they called us and handed us back the paperwork for Lian. Congrats, she is now an official US citizen. Now take you luggage to the X-ray station and then go to the airline counter to recheck them. I have no idea why they do this. the bags were screened in China and we filled out a paper stating we had nothing to declare. The bags were in the care of a US airline the entire time. Anyway, we x-rayed them and reloaded them on the cart to push to the United station down the hall. We rechecked them and then headed to our gate which was 4 terminals away, UGH! We had to catch a train and ride to the new terminal for domestic flights. We had to go back through security, AGAIN. The same routine, bags, shoes, boarding passes, passports, x-rays, unpack the laptop, take off the jackets, etc. We went through that and then walked out on the concourse to find our gate. We stood at Gate A1 and wouldn't you know it our gate was A-22B, the last one in the building! A mile later and we were all seated at the gate with 45 minutes to spare. I went back to a McDonald's that we had passed and picked up supper for everybody. About 15 minutes before loading, both girls decided they had to go. Joy took them and headed back down to the bathroom. About 5-7 minutes went by and they called to start boarding the plane. By the time the first 2 sections had boarded I was freaking out. I could not see the girls anywhere and almost everyone was on the plane. I gathered all of the bags, purses and coats and ran like a pack mule to the bathroom. I called from the door and told Joy to HURRY. The girls were not cooperating by this time and we literally ran to the Gate. We were the last ones on the plane and by the time it took off it was 8 PM Chicago time and 9AM to us, 25 hours since the trek began.

The plane ride to Birmingham was smooth and after dodging a few storms we landed at 9:45. Our family was there to get us and we were so happy to see them. We loaded everything in the SUV and started home. Lian thought it was extremely funny that I could drive. Up to now we rode in vans or buses and had a driver. She laughed all the way home. We got home and settled in around midnight or 1PM to us, 29 hours later.

Here are a few of my observations from the 17 days that we spent there.

1. We have the most beautiful daughter and she fits into our family of 7 perfectly.

2. The most dangerous activity in China is DRIVING. They manage to pull it off but I do not know why a single line is painted on the roads since no one pays them any attention. And no, the sidewalk is not any safer.

3. The beds look like something from a camping trip. They are as small as single beds in the States and as hard as the ground. The first 2 nights home we wound up all sleeping together in a king sized bed by the end of the night and still had more room.

4. The pollution is worse than you imagine or the pictures can show. The air quality in America is 1,000 times better than anywhere in China. It make the idiots in our Congress look like they are clueless or crooks when they say we need a new Clean Energy Bill. I estimate that it would take China at least 25 years to catch up to where we are now.

5. The Chinese culture and people are very rich in tradition. We truly do not have anything to compare when they say this structure is 3 times older than your entire Country, or this was built a thousand years before George Washington.

6. Most Chinese people are very poor and struggle to make enough for basic needs. Most do not own a car or home. They ride bikes and live in apartments or rent from the government.

7. There truly are 2 China's. You have the big cities of 10-15 million and then the rural areas of nothing but sparse farmland. There are a select few people who are very rich and the rest are very poor. It makes us greatly appreciate the freedoms and the blessings that we have.

8. For all the talk about the US needing to be more like other countries, they are all trying to be just like us. They are modeling everything they do after us and there are still more people coming to this country for freedom and a new chance to thrive than anyplace else in the world.

We truly are Blessed to live in the Greatest Country on Earth! Seeing other parts of the world only reminded us to be thankful for everything that we have. God Bless America and this Family.