Two Weeks and Counting....

I leave for Baltimore on July 6th! Cannot wait...although I HATE (AM TERRIFIED OF) flying. It seems ridiculous for me to be so phobic about getting on an airplane in light of how many miles I've logged during the last 4 years, but I really wish there was a better way of getting from point A to point B. I'm always so sure it's going to be the one that does me in, but alas I will not allow that fear to stop me from going to spectacular places. It has been two weeks since school ended yet I feel that my summer vacation just started. Before I know it I'll be back in school....yuck! Although I've been doing much to prepare the department for a smooth start in August. I want to get much accomplished this week-but I'm still very sore from surgery. I hope to feel better by the time I have to leave! I can't imagine carting the luggage through the airport and hotel rooms and feeling so sore! But everything will work out-I'm sure of it. I have a doctor's follow up appointment tomorrow, so I'll see what he says about the soreness. I also want to ask him if it's ok for me to swim in the Dead Sea-I would think it's theraputic? Hopefully he will say all is well. I found a mom of two of my students that is adopting from China. She got her referral for her baby and will be leaving for China at the end of this week! I'm so excited for her...what is ironic is that she has two older kids - as I do- her youngest and my youngest graduated from high school together, and now we are both embarking on "starting over" as so many people tell me. I don't see it as starting over at all!!! I see it as a continuation of my life's goals. Ever since I can remember, my mom used to talk about this little Chinese girl that she had "sponsored/adopted" when she was young in Cuba. From what I understand, the process was that you took on this baby girl that was in an orphanage in China and you paid for her welfare throughout her life. My mom would receive pictures and updates of her little girl throughout the time that she was in the program. Then came Fidel Castro and the rest is history. Her story really began my awareness and later my yen (no pun intented) to adopt a little girl from China. It seems like our wait is getting shorter-this week they announced the referrals of all LIDs through Jan 22. Our's is March 23. Soon soon......

Hong Kong

Why is it that when we are living an adventure we sometimes don't see it as such? Today I read a blog about a couple that is in Hong Kong getting ready to pick up their daughter in China. As I read their descriptions of what they were doing I was completely moved by the memories of when I was in Hong Kong. I had never wanted to even visit the orient, not ever. In 2005 DH was transferred to Hong Kong due to work reasons. At the time I was so negative about the whole idea of living on the other side of the world! Yet, the more time I spent in Hong Kong, the more I fell in love with the city. I miss the sounds and smells of this cosmopolitan city. It was such an education and opportunity to experience the culture on the level that I was able to. We are back home now and I find myself nostalgic at times for Hong Kong. I am looking forward to visiting again, but realize that "visiting" and "living" are not the same. We have decided to fly to Hong Kong when we go get Ling-Ling. I think we will get there several days earlier so that we may visit old haunts!
I am also making it a point to live everyday as if it were an adventure...I don't want to look back and say "Wow, I wish I had really enjoyed that experience fully when I was living it!"