Written at LAX
There are many similarities between my last trip and this one, and many changes.
I'm traveling alone; that's unexpected but familiar. I've also more luggage than I had last time- I can't believe that bringing gifts would cost so much space. But it does, and they are heavy. But ultimately, I tell myself that they are worth it.
I've been told I'll be hauling my bags about 1.25 miles- it'll be a trek. There will be things to help me, I'm sure, but the airport I'm going to is huge. Luckily I will have had three hours in the airport. That's different, too.
Last time I was at this airport I had only 20 minutes to make it across terminals. This time I've made it safely, having almost four hours due to being early. Very much the opposite of last time- there will be spending no night in the airport. There will only be the sleeping on the plane available to me. That's kind.
Once I get through Beijing, I'll be fine. Once I am at the gate to my flight in ZZ, I will be relax. Beijing is the big peak to cross on my trip- after that happens, I will know whether or not things will go well.
I know where I'm arriving. I know the layout, I remember the exits, the entrances, to the city. They are familiar to me. I wish I had my old apartment, but mostly for familiarity's sake than anything else. I still don't know my classes. That's expected.
I'm glad for all the traveling I did this summer. There were people I wish I could have seen, or people I wish I could have seen more than once, but ultimately, I'm glad I could see as many as I did. There's only so much time I had before I returned to China; I felt it was spent wisely.
The familiarity of the airport is lost on me. Instead, it's more like a dream. Last time I arrived it was nighttime and I had been up for almost 24 hours, rushing to my terminal and getting blisters on my feet. There was not time to look around, there was not time to think about where I was- I was solely focused on the 2 over the terminal. And I was, unfortunately, too late.
But this time I am not. This time, on the same flights 12 hours earlier, I am on time, and going through customs. It'll be great.
Eventually.
For now, I am comforted that I know what to expect and that there will be people waiting for me. I know where my apartment is and what is there (weights, I have been dreaming of weights, lifting so many, and I must get a gym membership asap), I know who to call and if worst comes to worst I know how to hire either a bus or a taxi to take me to my destination.
While going through LA security, I saw an Islamic family with green passports (I don't know where they are from). The woman was covered head to toe. I wondered what I would have thought if I had seen them a year ago, having absolutely no experiences with Muslim culture- I could only think of the delicious food back in China that the Muslims served in Kaifeng as my only cultural relation to them. People do this, I think, we ask, "where are you from, where are you going, what life have you lived" and some of us know the answers and some only have what we are told when we think of people's backstories.
Also, today I saw my old Squad Leader from Marching Band. It was fun.
