Day 1: “You’re off to Great Places, you’re off and away!”

For anyone who knows me they know that I was up until the wee hours getting everything done the night before I left.  I work well under pressure- always have, always will.  I had company come over who help me pack my three suitcases.  I made it into three- each right at 50 pounds- each jam packed full of clothes, shoes, hair products and scarfs.  Things I do not think I can live without for two years. My carry-on was another story.  I pushed the envelope.  So I have my purse, which I put inside my Vera Bradley tote, which I put into my shopping bag from mixbags.  Then I included my computer sleeve with computer, iPod and ipad, and wonderful camera bag. I think at last count that is 5 bags that I conveniently have called my purse.  Of course I have another carry on that is a real carry on and crammed full of stuff (I even used my space bag packing aid so I could put even more clothes in it- Thanks Rebecca).  Dang that’s a lot of stuff. I will probably learn much these two years about needs and wants.  I am counting on it.

So Bentley and I went to bed about 3 and I promptly woke up at 6am to get to the airport at 8. After all that, I was still late! I still forgot some things.  I sure hope I did not need that malaria prescription!  I heard in my welcome packet that gin and tonic was a good mosquito repellant- maybe I will resort to that.  You gotta love a principal that is “green” in his advice for bugs be gone!

Off to the airport!  I love the Austin airport.  It was easy to get to the check in counter- but it was not easy checking in.  My flight to San Francisco was not a problem but my main leg was delayed 2.5 hours so the house of cards falls after that.  I will be arriving a day late and will be spending the night in Beijing (I need to learn to spell these foreign cities.)  I started to panic when this first came to light.  Curbside check in said it looked like I needed a visa for my entrance into China. Crap- had I dropped a HUGE ball?  I knew I needed a visa for Myanmar and had things set up for that but…. Turns out I could not check in because the time of the flight was changed on the manifest but not in the machine that spits out the baggage coupons.  I knew right then I would be delayed many times on leg#1 of my journey. The good news is that tears only started to puddle up once in my eyes when I was on the phone with my travel agent.  Imagine that, I was so frustrated, scared and questioning that my big goodbye with the boys was a hug and a kiss. No ugly cry for me- not on this day anyway.

Here are my reflections so far:

1.  If you are looking for good movies on China Air I hope you are watching your own computer.  Right now there is a dancing poodle on the screen.

2.  Bose noise cancelling headphones are well worth the money (especially if you received them as a gift!)  The only problem I had is I found myself singing.  This tendency was no problem for me because I could not hear myself and have always thought I have an ok voice, but I am sure my neighbors did not appreciate my rendition of Mr. Jones by the Counting Crows (Thanks Sandra for letting me copy all your tunes!!)

3.  A smile is the universal language.  Everyone likes a smile even if we do not share the same native language.  

4.  Conversations.  I think I already miss conversations.  I am on a 12-hour flight and have not heard one conversation. Perhaps it is because of my Bose noise canceling headphones, or perhaps it is because this is more of an introverted culture.  I do know one thing; I have great empathy for my ESL students.  I am not speaking to my row partner because I am afraid she will have a hard time understanding me as I would her.  So rather than try, I put on my headphones and close off the world. I think some of us do this without the aid of headphones.  We try to solve problems without talking it through with friends; we assume no one will want to hear what I have to say.  We go it alone when we were created to be in a relationship with others. I am so grateful to have so many great conversationalists in my life.  Now if I can master Facetime or Skype I will get to “have my cake and eat it too”.