Departure gate thoughts

Leading up to this trip people have been asking me whether I am excited, or even told me that I must be so excited. I've been telling people that I am looking forward to the trip but that I wouldn't say I was excited. For a brief moment today, I was wrong about that.

As I have mentioned, China had never really been on my list. It's not really somewhere I have ever wanted to visit. There are things I'd like to see, sure. But there are other places in the world I'd to see first. I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat. I value any experience to travel and am all the more grateful for the chance to travel to China because it was not on my list.

For a few hours today though, as I was hurrying to finish all the last minute things I needed to get done at work and as I was saying goodbye to my colleagues, I was getting very excited about the trip indeed. I've been keeping in touch with Caroline since she headed off a almost two weeks ago, and it's been so exciting getting her news about how things have been for her over there and how things have been with the child. All things considered, it sounds to be going well. There are trying aspects of it, and it has not all been perfect but overall her messages seem positive. The pictures she has sent of the child show a great deal of character. I am very curious to meet him and to see how they are with each other. Aside from that, all going well, I am going to get to see the Great Wall!! THAT is on my list. So yeah, I was getting excited.

That excitement has tapered off somewhat after the ride on the train and the endless waiting for the delayed flight. And I am reminded of one of reasons why I have not been excited about the trip. The Chinese as a people do not, by most accounts, have a great reputation is terms of civil mindedness. I think the cultural divide between the Chinese and Western cultures is quite significant. I remember a Chinese student in Germany who I had taken of a tour of the library being astounded that it was so quite. She said that she had never seen a place with that many people (and it wasn't that many rally) being so quiet. In China, she said, the noise would hit the roof.

And yet, the departure gate is no noisier than usual, despite the significant number of Chinese travellers here. Maybe I am in for a surprise...

We'll see. Boarding now.

#triptoChina #China #adoptiontriptochina