We had a great Xmas holidays!!!!\u00a0 It was so fun to visit with family and friends in DFW.\u00a0 Jet lag proved a troublesome.\u00a0 I guessed it would take a week to begin to feel right, and I didn\u2019t miss it by much.\u00a0 Our bodies kept trying to sleep during the day, and too many nights we woke up at midnight, unable to fall back to sleep.<\/p>\n
Courtney had us in a great hotel, The Magnolia, in downtown Dallas, across from her apartment. \u00a0Her apartment has an agreement with the hotel to accommodate visiting family members of residents.\u00a0 The price was tremendous, and the accommodations were first rate.\u00a0 The price included breakfast, and cookies in the evening.\u00a0 We took advantage of both way too freely.\u00a0 We spent the last 3 nights in a guest suite at the Tower Condominiums in downtown Fort Worth.\u00a0 Debbie Hunn was a huge help setting it up.\u00a0 We\u2019re beginning to look ahead to our move back to the US (whenever that is).\u00a0 Downtown Fort Worth sure seems like a possibility.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 The box was a real pain to haul through the Beijing and Chicago airports, since it didn\u2019t have wheels.\u00a0 I was looking forward to an easier return trip.\u00a0 Boy was I wrong.\u00a0 Judy had ordered enough clothes and shoes to get her through the summer and next fall.\u00a0 I made too many purchases as well.\u00a0 I bought several items in anticipation of the arctic temps we\u2019ll face when we return (face masks, ear warmers, etc.).\u00a0 It\u2019s just easier to buy things when we know what the sizes are.\u00a0 We\u2019re never sure in China what the sizes are, including shoes.<\/span><\/p>\n Judy also ordered 40 pair of rhythm sticks and 40 recorders for her BISS classes that were delivered to Courtney.\u00a0 Packing for our return trip was interesting.\u00a0 We ended up buying a small wheeled-duffel to get some of the stuff home.\u00a0 Every time we travel we learn a lesson or two (or three) about how to do things better.<\/span><\/p>\n Super Shuttle picked us up at 4:00 am Thursday, Jan.2, in downtown Fort Worth.\u00a0 Check-in went smooth in spite of really long lines.\u00a0 Just as we neared the security entrance for TSA Pre, I was sent back to the ticketing counter to check the extra bag.\u00a0 I thought it might make it through, but it was just a little too big.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t even jump on it and make it fit the sample sizer.\u00a0 After waiting through the long lines again, I made it back to Judy and we went through the TSA Pre security check.\u00a0 It was much easier than the normal procedure.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t have to pull out computers and electronics.\u00a0 We got to wear our shoes and our belts, etc. \u00a0Sooner or later, all our travel and frequent flyer miles will begin to pay off.<\/span><\/p>\n Our flight arrived in Washington DC twenty minutes early.\u00a0 We must have walked a mile from our arrival gate to the departure gate.\u00a0 Boarding was smooth and the flight gets off on time.\u00a0 These long international flights are really different from domestic flights in the US.\u00a0 Each seat has it\u2019s own screen with individual controls.\u00a0 I watched six different movies from DC to Beijing.\u00a0 We also ate 3 meals.\u00a0 Of course, it was a 13\u00bd hour flight.\u00a0 Judy slept a little bit, but I only slept about 15 minutes.\u00a0 We arrived at 3:45 pm, Friday, January 3.\u00a0 Customs was easy in Beijing.\u00a0 The new International Terminal in Beijing is so much better than when we flew to Beijing in July.<\/span><\/p>\n The extra bag I checked in Dallas didn\u2019t make it to Beijing with us.\u00a0 We went through the process to track it, which is pretty interesting with the language barrier.\u00a0 It eventually was delivered to our apartment late Saturday night.<\/span><\/p>\n We have to take two taxis to get home because of the amount of luggage we\u2019re carrying.\u00a0 Our apartment is a welcome sight when we arrive at 6:00 pm.\u00a0 Lilly cleaned while we were gone.\u00a0 We dump our bags and are in bed less than an hour after arrival.\u00a0 Now comes the fun of our return jet lag.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We had a great Xmas holidays!!!!\u00a0 It was so fun to visit with family and friends in DFW.\u00a0 Jet lag proved a troublesome.\u00a0 I guessed it would take a week to begin to feel right, and I didn\u2019t miss it … Continue reading