HOMEWARD BOUND
12/8: The day started VERY early -- we had to be on the bus to the airport at 5:30 am! This, of course, meant that we broke the sleeping baby cardinal rule yet again -- DCFS is going to visit us for sure! There were four other families from our group traveling on our same flight, so that was nice. We arrived at the Guangzhou airport and, in typical Chinese fashion, our check-in line moved three times. Add to this the fact that the Chinese have NO problem cutting in lines ahead of each other (and us) and it makes for a trying check-in. We then had to proceed through a security check that is unrivaled in any airport that I have been in. Actually, the security part was not that bad, it was the fact that we had to stop and fill out forms three different times -- all this just to get to Hong Kong! We all agreed that they made it much harder to leave mainland China then to get into China!
We arrived in Hong Kong after a very short flight. Eleanor did fine. After just seeing the Hong Kong airport, we both want to visit Hong Kong and spend some time there. However, the trek through the Hong Kong airport was something of an epic journey. From the gate to the "transfer point" we walked and walked and walked and then got lost and walked some more! Finally arriving at the United transfer desk we were told that any hopes of a Business Class upgrade were just a dream. Oh well.
In a short time we then boarded for our flight to Chicago. We had a bulkhead seat which the other parents on the flight assured us was hitting the jackpot! However, we were in the middle two seats of the middle row, so that meant we would have some traveling companions who might not see it as hitting the jackpot! In fact, when everyone boarded, they made an annoucement that the plane was full of babies, that babies will be babies and that people just had to deal! That was very nice! They also had free baby food available throughout the flight! Luckily, however, our seat mates were nice enough and tolerated us getting up and down what seemed like every 10 minutes.
Yes, while other babies slept, Eleanor was up for most of the trip. She slept fitfully, but we had the movie screen directly in front of us and that kept her awake. Both Rich and I felt that we could have actually slept on this flight, but Eleanor was having none of it! I think I stood at least half the trip -- which was probably a good thing given the "comfort" of coach seats -- yes, we have been spoiled now by our Business Class trip - from here on out, every seat will be compared to that "one time we upgraded to Business Class." So sad.
We finally arrived in Chicago (5 minutes after we left Hong Kong if you could believe the clocks) and were met by Rich's mom, dad, sister, Jeannette and her husband Erik, as well as Rich's cousin, Lisa and her two Chinese daughters, Rosie and Ella, Val and Carolyn, Lynne, Beth (who will start this journey soon), and, of course, the book club girls made a stellar showing! It was very heart-warming to have such a wonderful welcome!
We got home just before the first big snow storm of the season -- we had no idea that snow was expected! Eleanor tolerated her first car seat ride very well and even had some smiles for her Nai Nai (grandma) and her Ayi Jeannette and Shu Shu Erik. After bundling Eleanor up in her snowsuit (of course I could not help but think about the movie "A Chistmas Story"), we took her outside to see the snow. She was unimpressed!
We then had a great dinner that Jeannette had prepared for us and went to bed. Eleanor slept until 3:30 am which we thought was great! We have not been so lucky on any night since, so if anyone knows how to deal with a baby and jetlag -- CALL (don't e-mail) us now!
So, that was our journey home -- I woke up the day after we got home and realized that now our real life begins. It feels a bit overwhelming and daunting, but I am hopeful that once we get some sleep, that will help my perspective!
I will update with pictures of Eleanor at home in the next couple of days! |
