Back from the Orient

Well I have been back from E. Asia for a few weeks and have yet to update on my trip.
It was a fabulous trip and I am so excited that I got to have this once in a lifetime experience. I learned so much from this trip not only personally but spiritually.
It was quite a long journey to get to Tricia. I was so blessed because on my flight from Toronto to Beijing I did not have anyone in the two seats next to me and I was able to stretch out and sleep some. Once I got to Beijing I made it through customs and had my first major culture shock when I had to get in the "Foreigners" line... yep I was a foreigner... it was really strange. Then I made it to baggage claim... ummm and I waited for a looooooooooooooooooong time, but well my suitcase she never came. So very much a blessing there were two other Americans who had the same problem so we went and filed the paperwork not too shabby, but then found out my next flight had been canceled and I had gotten placed on a later flight. So thus I was all alone in a foreign country and it struck me like a ton of bricks. I don't think I have ever felt so alone in my life. I would see white people and would walk a little closer so it looked like I belonged somewhere but well then they would start talking and they were NOT American. I just wanted to have a melt down. I was so tired after traveling for over 24 hours and just wanted to sleep but I couldn't cause I didn't want my stuff to get stolen so I forced myself to stay awake. I finally made it to Tricia several hours later and it was so wonderful to see her. We got a taxi and headed to her apartment. I was never so happy to sleep.
We spent a week in her city and I got to experience true E. Asian life. It was fabulous.
We spent a few days at the tail end of my trip in Beijing and got to go to The Great Wall which was amazing.
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so blessed to have had such an amazing tour guide and spend some time with my best friend after so many months apart.