December 21, 2011
Maren dropped me off at the Salt Lake International Airport at 8:30AM and helped me check my bags into Southwest Airlines. I gave her a final hug, thanked her for having me over, and went through security.
Security went smoothly (I successfully traveled from China to Colorado, four flights and eight security stations, without losing or breaking my luggage or getting patted down—score!) and I easily found my gate (of course, it was at the very end of the terminal). I’m becoming a pro at traveling.
My carry on, my fake Louis Vuitton, held up magnificently; nevertheless, upon boarding the plane, I lifted it to put in the overhead bin but I feared the wheels made it too wide to fit. However, a kindly man offered to help and made Louis behave and fit.
I daresay I did not look forward to this flight; I was sick and tired of traveling—literally. My sore throat had hardly improved (the aridity of the West did nothing to help) and jet lag had me exhausted. Even though the flight from Salt Lake to Denver was barely an hour long, it was an hour too long.
Once I landed in the Denver International Airport, I collected my bags at baggage claim, purchased a cart to haul all my crap (which probably weighed a collective 68-90kg/150-200lbs) to the shuttle station. I purchased lunch at no other place that Panda Express, because I’m cultured like that. I never had orange chicken in China (it may be an American invention, like fortune cookies) and it was sweet for Chinese food, but the new Cashew Chicken actually tasted quite authentic.
When my GreenRide shuttle arrived, the driver got out and, animated, asked if there was a Jillian here. Confused, I introduced myself.
“Ah!” he said, grinning; he handed me a festively-decorated plate of homemade cookies. “Merry Christmas!” Surprised, I accepted the plate and read the note; it was from my parents and sisters.
“Aw,” sighed a fellow female passenger. “Somebody must love you!”
I was touched; random, sweet (literally and otherwise) surprises like this never happen to me. I love my family. However, since I haven’t had sugary foods for four months (last week when Kelli made American brownies and I had a stomach ache for the rest of the night; before that, when she made pudding, I spent the night puking in my toilet), I couldn’t actually eat the cookies. It was a kind gesture, though. I offered a cookie to the other passengers, but they politely refused.
I sat by a woman and her husband, who are from Seattle, Washington. She is originally from Nebraska and he from India; they were an extremely nice couple. She and I chatted about traveling, life, and food. I told her how I’ve always wanted to work in an orphanage in India; she encouraged me, since India needs as much help as it can get. She and her husband have traveled in India multiple times to visit his family and she shared with me good advice on living there.
When we arrived at the shuttle stop in Fort Collins, my family was waiting there with a banner that said, “Welcome Home Jillian – We love you!” and balloons. Mom bombarded me with a bear hug; she was emotional and happy to have me home. I missed her too much to say. My sisters embraced me, followed by my father. It’s good to be home, though for a while it was weird to be around them—it feels like forever, but at the same time it doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was at that same shuttle station, preparing to leave for China.
That evening, we sat around Grandma’s living room, chatting about life and catching up. I talked about my students and experience, making them laugh at all the absurdities of my life and things my kids said. I showed them several of my souvenirs. It was fun to spend time with my family; I missed them all. Four months away from them has definitely increased my appreciation for family and home.
And there it is, the end of my China affair. Again, I thank all of you for your support and love! It means the world to me. This experience has been life-changing and unforgettable; I will forever be grateful to those who helped make this happen.
You're the best!
Jillian
No comments:
Post a Comment