Home sweet home

  Frederick, Maryland
Sunday, December 31, 2006

You know you are at home when you can listen to two hours of Garrison Kealor's "Prairie Home Companion" life from New York City. That's when you are REALLY home again.

After a 12 hour flight from Beijing to Chicago during which I sat uncomfortably in a 3 seat row, occasionally helping the Chinese women next to me maneuvering through her food and drink options, I arrived tired but excited in Chicago. We went over the pole where I got to witness the beautiful Northern Lights - it was amazing. Due to long lines at the US immigration, I missed my connecting flight to Baltimore. So, I had time to scoop out the bagel shop and a handful of newspaper/book stores. On one hand, it felt like I never left the US, on the other hand it felt rather surreal to be back after 2.5 years of travel. There were lots of books that caught my eye and I would have been perfectly happy being stranded in the airport for 2 days where I would have had time to browse through may of the books that stirred my interest.

I finally got to Baltimore at midnight with my friend Paul waiting for me. Our first stop was a little diner somewhere in Rockville and against all odds, I stuffed myself with a big burger at 1.30am. I slept till 2 the next day and my food adventure continued with a juicy Reuben and some devilish good cinnamon twist (or whatever it was). I promised myself and my stomach that I would eat and drink all the yummy things I had not tasted in a long time, such as dark bread, cheese, cheese cake, salads and good wine. Basically, Soul food.

I surprised family and friends when I showed up in Frederick on Friday. it was great to see everyone and drink, eat and tell stories into the wee hours. It was good to be home again. Over the next two weeks, I visited my alma mater, University of Maryland, celebrated Christmas with our big family, visited friends, talked and listened to my family and spent quality time with our dogs.

Now, its time to leave again. I don't know when I will be back in the US. Maybe another 2 or 3 years, who knows. I am ready to go back and learn more about China, continue teaching and traveling around the world. Eventually, I will have to decide where and when to settle but I hope I don't have to make this decision anytime soon.

For those adventurous souls, here are two web sites I can recommend. Astrid and Martin are world travelers on the road since 2000. Their web site is in English and German and has plenty of information on where to travel/work and explains the culture of the respective places. The other web site belongs to my friend Vic Hanson, whom I visited in Coatahuasi, Peru. After traversing the Pacific Crest Trail for 5 months, he went back to Peru and plans on running an adventure outdoor business. Exactly what I am interested in but I am on the wrong site of the planet!


That's it for now, I wish all my friends, family and readers a wonderful 2007! Keep exploring!