We said we were expecting the unexpected. We said we were ready for surprises. We had no idea that the element of surprise would start before we ever left the country. Six of us met up at the Philadelphia airport and boarded a plane to Chicago to meet up with the rest of us and then fly to Shanghai and onto Guangzhou. As we were preparing for take off in Philly, the de-icing truck clipped the right wing of the plan rendering the plane unable to fly at all. We all got off the plane, thankfully were first in line at the ticket counter to rebook and still spent 45 minutes working out alternative plans that would still get us where we needed to be. The result was a plan that meant sending our team on three (yes, three) different flights to China–5 on a flight from Chicago to Shanghai and then to Guangzhou, 3 on a flight from Philly to Washington to Beijing and then to Guangzhou, and 3 on a flight from Philly to Chicago to Tokyo (yes, that’s right) and then to Guangzhou. Everyone dashed to get to their respective flight like a seen from Amazing Race (which we lost, mind you, after we missed our connecting flight in Beijing). It was nothing short of a miracle that all 11 plus the 3 team members who live in China and took a train here arrived here on Saturday night WITH all but one piece of luggage (which just so happened to be poor Ashlyn’s).
It was a crazy, crazy travel day which took about 36 doors door to door.
But, isn’t it just like China to put me on this emotional roller coaster with plenty of loops and upward climbs of anticipation?
After a whole 4 hours of sleep, we were all reunited over a noodley and fried eggy breakfast after which we were greeted by our friend who works at the orphanage here. She offered us bottled waters and fresh hot potatoes then we boarded a bus for a day of shopping, a posh outdoor lunch, and a walk all afternoon and well into the evening that made me nearly forget that crazy travel day that had ended only hours earlier (and the associated jet lag).
Now, if only we had Ashlyn’s luggage.