Gotta tell you the first leg of my trip is soooo exciting. I'm chillin' here in breathtakingly beautiful Newark International Airport, taking in the wonderful scenery outside and asking, no actually thanking God I don't live here (no offense if you're from Newark, but c'mon, is this for real?).
'k, enough with that. Part of the problem is that I'm barely awake, went to bed and 4:15 a.m. (because I decided to repack my luggage at 3 a.m., go figure) got up at 5:30 a.m. (y'all can do the math), and for the first time in all my years flying that I can remember on the descent down into Newark I had the worst case of pressure in my ears, probably because of my stuffed sinuses, and seriously thought I was going to blow a few blood vessels in my eyeballs because of the pressure. It's been about an hour since we landed and I'm just beginning to regain a modicum of auditory normalcy...
Geez, just realized I was griping again. Sorry. So I'm really off to Hong Kong. It still hasn't set in but now it does feel more real. As I head out I definitely will covet your prayers and thoughts. It's going to be an amazing experience but it's also going to be a growing and stretching experience. Can you imagine me learning Mandarin, hehe? I love the fact that most of what I know about this place is what I've read from the internet, books, tales from friends, and a brief (one week) stay back in '97.
I'm hoping and praying that I get over the last hold out of the flu I've been battling the last several days before we leave for mainland China this weekend. Don't particularly relish the thought of traipsing across China wheezing like a 40-year-old, asthmatic mule with a clogged nose and ears.
Seriously though, I promise to provide actual postings with real insights over the next few days (hopefully, depending on access).
I'll miss you all but will also be caught up in the adventure of it all that I may not realize it for several moons. Live life, love it, and make it work for you (whatever the hell that means).
Sai unjuma'a
