traveling around the world

I had good intentions of writing last night but by the time we got to the hotel I thought I was going to die.  Let’s just say…30 hours in airports and on planes is brutal.  We didn’t sleep one wink on the 13 hour flight from Detroit to Tokyo and so by the time we were waiting to fly to Beijing my body was screaming.  By that time we had been up for close to 24 hours.  I laid down for a little bit in the airport in Tokyo but I got the feeling that people don’t really do that in Asia.  In the US you wouldn’t think twice, but since I was the ONLY one laying down in the entire airport…maybe not so much in Asia!

 

But, we got here just fine.  And I didn’t even freak out – except for one small time.  We were standing in line to board the plane to Tokyo and I look over and there is a bearded Arabic man sitting at the gate, nervously flipping a piece of paper, and very quietly talking on his cell phone.  Yeah, I was a little scared!  Eric of course chastised me for being so ridiculously discriminatory but for real, he looked like all those terrorist people and he couldn’t keep his fingers still!  I think he was making plans but stopped when I gave him my evil eye. 

 

The flight was so long.   I mean really, so long.  All I can say is I am glad we have 17 days to recover and forget how horrible it is before we try and do it with a 2 ½ year old who doesn’t speak our language!  But we did manage to make a few observations…

 

1. You don’t have to wonder why Americans are hated around the world.  They are big fat jerks so much of the time.  Hope we can give a few people a good experience with the old USA!

 

2. I am thinking if Mark Burnett and I could get together we could make people-watching a reality TV show.  Seriously, who can figure out the most about someone’s life just be watching them in the airport? 

 

3. 21 hours sitting on a plane is brutal for tailbones injured in childbirth.  I was wishing I had my little doughnut pillow!

 

4. There really is NOTHING in Siberia.  Flew across the whole place…nothing.

 

5. Listening to Josh Groban on the ipod while watching an episode of 24 on the laptop is a whole new experience – you should try it sometime.

 

6. If Dean ever takes a transatlantic missions trip again I will personally raise the funds to send him first class – the man should not be subject to coach.

 

7. Speaking of first class, after being squished for 13 hours in an 18 inch seat, do we really need to listen to the flight attendant tell us to put our tray tables and FOOTRESTS back up?  Couldn’t she just announce that to the 10 people in first class?  Talk about adding insult to injury…

 

8. And last but not least, gay flight attendants find Eric QUITE appealing.  We even got some free wine out of the deal.

 

We are so glad we are here safely.  It really is still so surreal.  I am wondering when it is all going to hit me.

 

Lots of love,

Ashleigh