Day 1 or 2 ...depending on how you count
June 7, 2011
I arrived in Beijing yesterday around 1:30 in the afternoon: the same flight and same time and pretty darned close to the same day I first came to Beijing one year ago to adopt Macy.
Although I am looking forward to this new experience working in the three orphanages, the energy and excitement on this trip pails in comparison to our adoption trip.
Beijing itself seems more calm and far less exotic than it did just a year ago.
China is now familiar.
Macy’s birthplace.
Mia’s Home.
We are connected to this place.
And so now the excitement of visiting a new place is replaced by a warm nostalgia.
****
Last night I finally met my team: they are a group of 11 women/girls and one man and I am slowly beginning to put together names and faces. We didn’t have much time to visit tonight as most everyone was near sick from exhaustion after the more than 24 hour trip to China. We had a quick dinner at a local restaurant and then most of the team headed to bed.
I stayed up with my roommate Tammy and our Team Leader Shannon until after midnight sorting the hundreds of pounds of donations by each of the three orphanages. At one point standing in the middle of the hotel room, up to my ankles in baby wipes I found myself once again overwhelmed by the generosity of all of the people who made donations.
There is no doubt this (thanks to so many of you reading now) was first miracle of the trip.
I am hoping for many more.
Although I am looking forward to this new experience working in the three orphanages, the energy and excitement on this trip pails in comparison to our adoption trip.
Beijing itself seems more calm and far less exotic than it did just a year ago.
China is now familiar.
Macy’s birthplace.
Mia’s Home.
We are connected to this place.
And so now the excitement of visiting a new place is replaced by a warm nostalgia.
****
Last night I finally met my team: they are a group of 11 women/girls and one man and I am slowly beginning to put together names and faces. We didn’t have much time to visit tonight as most everyone was near sick from exhaustion after the more than 24 hour trip to China. We had a quick dinner at a local restaurant and then most of the team headed to bed.
I stayed up with my roommate Tammy and our Team Leader Shannon until after midnight sorting the hundreds of pounds of donations by each of the three orphanages. At one point standing in the middle of the hotel room, up to my ankles in baby wipes I found myself once again overwhelmed by the generosity of all of the people who made donations.
There is no doubt this (thanks to so many of you reading now) was first miracle of the trip.
I am hoping for many more.
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