The return home

Today is July 11th. On July 8th, 3:55 AM (Eastern Time), or July 9th, 3:55 PM (BJ/HK time), I board on a Boeing 747 bound for the US, specifically Chicago's infamously oft-delayed O'Hare airport. My connecting flight to Rochester was scheduled for July 9th, 7:41 PM (Central time), but after numerous delays, the actually take off time was closer to 10:40 (Central time). For those of you doing the math, that placed me in Rochester at about 12:40 AM (Eastern time) on July 10th, meaning after claiming my luggage and driving 1.5 hours to my parents' home in upstate New York, I would be collapsing in bed at about 4 AM (Eastern time) on July 10th, meaning it was a grueling 48 consecutive hours of travel. But am I ever thankful that ordeal is over. Of course, this doesn't include a spontaneous trip to NYC on July 10th, leaving at about 11 AM and returning home at about 5 AM on July 11th. Suffice to say, I have not been able to beat the jet-lag bug due to the abnormal travel patterns.

This trip home also marks the end of a two year stint overseas. And what a wild ride it's been.
This post also marks the first blog post I've put up since before my stint. As a teacher in Shanghai next fall, I'm sure I will have many adventures and stories to follow. But in the following weeks, I hope to share about the wacky and weird adventures that have occurred in my life. Many cultural misconceptions, misunderstandings and mis-doings... haha.

Welcome back to the US, welcome back to blogging...