We had a great Xmas holidays!!!! It was so fun to visit with family and friends in DFW. Jet lag proved a troublesome. I guessed it would take a week to begin to feel right, and I didn’t miss it by much. Our bodies kept trying to sleep during the day, and too many nights we woke up at midnight, unable to fall back to sleep.
Courtney had us in a great hotel, The Magnolia, in downtown Dallas, across from her apartment. Her apartment has an agreement with the hotel to accommodate visiting family members of residents. The price was tremendous, and the accommodations were first rate. The price included breakfast, and cookies in the evening. We took advantage of both way too freely. We spent the last 3 nights in a guest suite at the Tower Condominiums in downtown Fort Worth. Debbie Hunn was a huge help setting it up. We’re beginning to look ahead to our move back to the US (whenever that is). Downtown Fort Worth sure seems like a possibility.
We arrived with 4 checked suitcases that were fully packed, 2 personal bags we carried on, and a 30lb. box of tea cups for Xmas gifts. The box was a real pain to haul through the Beijing and Chicago airports, since it didn’t have wheels. I was looking forward to an easier return trip. Boy was I wrong. Judy had ordered enough clothes and shoes to get her through the summer and next fall. I made too many purchases as well. I bought several items in anticipation of the arctic temps we’ll face when we return (face masks, ear warmers, etc.). It’s just easier to buy things when we know what the sizes are. We’re never sure in China what the sizes are, including shoes.
Judy also ordered 40 pair of rhythm sticks and 40 recorders for her BISS classes that were delivered to Courtney. Packing for our return trip was interesting. We ended up buying a small wheeled-duffel to get some of the stuff home. Every time we travel we learn a lesson or two (or three) about how to do things better.
Super Shuttle picked us up at 4:00 am Thursday, Jan.2, in downtown Fort Worth. Check-in went smooth in spite of really long lines. Just as we neared the security entrance for TSA Pre, I was sent back to the ticketing counter to check the extra bag. I thought it might make it through, but it was just a little too big. I couldn’t even jump on it and make it fit the sample sizer. After waiting through the long lines again, I made it back to Judy and we went through the TSA Pre security check. It was much easier than the normal procedure. We didn’t have to pull out computers and electronics. We got to wear our shoes and our belts, etc. Sooner or later, all our travel and frequent flyer miles will begin to pay off.
Our flight arrived in Washington DC twenty minutes early. We must have walked a mile from our arrival gate to the departure gate. Boarding was smooth and the flight gets off on time. These long international flights are really different from domestic flights in the US. Each seat has it’s own screen with individual controls. I watched six different movies from DC to Beijing. We also ate 3 meals. Of course, it was a 13½ hour flight. Judy slept a little bit, but I only slept about 15 minutes. We arrived at 3:45 pm, Friday, January 3. Customs was easy in Beijing. The new International Terminal in Beijing is so much better than when we flew to Beijing in July.
The extra bag I checked in Dallas didn’t make it to Beijing with us. We went through the process to track it, which is pretty interesting with the language barrier. It eventually was delivered to our apartment late Saturday night.
We have to take two taxis to get home because of the amount of luggage we’re carrying. Our apartment is a welcome sight when we arrive at 6:00 pm. Lilly cleaned while we were gone. We dump our bags and are in bed less than an hour after arrival. Now comes the fun of our return jet lag.