Over the Arctic Ocean and through the Hudson Bay...

And here I am in Washington DC almost 30 hours after leaving Jinan this morning…or was that yesterday morning? These long journeys amaze me. Poof! Its as if I snuck up on the other side of the world to see if it was still in motion. It is.

As I walk down the terminal, I am convinced that my Mom has been waiting at Reagan National ever since she dropped me off nine months ago. She comes back to life the very moment I lay eyes upon her. We hug to confirm each other’s warm living bodies. With similar astonishment, she examines me and asks, “Did you really just come from China? I can’t believe it! All that way.” Hugs and more hugs. We wait at baggage claim and I make stories out of nothings that happened on my flights. I characterize passengers and tilt my head subtly across the conveyor belt in their direction.

The journey was pleasantly uneventful. Meals, movies, screaming infants, travel documents, flotation devices and oxygen masks. For my own safety, and the safety of those around me, I dutifully watch the flight attendant’s demonstrations. I nod in all the right places hoping to give her encouragement as everyone else flips through the in-flight magazines and fiddles with carry-on luggage throughout her presentation. I wonder if she is annoyed that no one is listening and she will have to explain it all again in the event of an emergency. Only then, everyone will be panicking and she will think to herself, I told you to listen the first time, but did you? No.

Its nearly 1 am here and I am determined to get myself on this time zone pronto. We have quite a week ahead. All in honor of this unique lady who I call Mom: