A Chinese-American Story of Love (Part VII - section 1)

By Douglas Wagganer

The flight back to the United States took 11 hours to complete. It was about 8 p.m. when we took off from Guangzhou, China and it was around 5 p.m. that same exact day when we touched down in Los Angeles, California. The crossing of the International Date Line, while we flew back towards the East, allowed us to make the entire trip without losing a day like it did when we came to China two weeks earlier. This time phenomena would later result in some serious jet lag effects for all three of us.

Our little Maribeth was able to fall asleep about two hours into our flight home. She slept like a little Angel for the next seven and half hours. When she awoke she was refreshed and in good spirits again. The same thing could not be said about my wife. Jane tried really hard at being a good traveler, but as in each of our earlier flights, she once again became claustrophobic on the crowded plane. She tried to not complain as she began to toss and turn restlessly in her seat during that long flight. I could tell the journey had indeed been hard on her. She was physically, mentally and most of all emotionally drained. Jane likes planned order and regularity throughout her life. This trip was not anything like what she had planned or prepared for. It was a demanding two weeks of physical exertion. At times the trip would test one's patience and endurance. The emotional rollercoaster of the trip, along with us then suddenly becoming new parents was instant stress to say the least. I was amazed that Jane held together so well under the conditions she had been facing. We had been involved in so much activity in such a short period of time. All I could do then was sit two seats away from her and hold her hand. Maybe it helped; I do not know for sure, she never said anything. She just sat there lightly holding my hand as she tried to doze for a few moments at a time.

Someone had to watch the sleeping baby and the frightened wife, so I sat in my seat thinking and reviewing the past two weeks in my minds eye. The trip had for me been a grand adventure. It was an exciting and exhilarating time for me. I had found China to be a wonderful place. I felt I had left without grasping some part of the bigger picture. I would have liked to have had more time to explore and share in more of the culture. There is simply too much for one person to see and do. I realized both then and now that I will some day have to return to China. In part to fill my promises to both Maribeth and myself, but also to fill in the void that leaving China created in my soul.

The return flight was on a China Southern Jet, which took a more southerly flight than our earlier transcontinental flight took. We flew over Japan and the Hawaii Islands as we headed towards the United States. It was smooth flight over the Pacific Ocean. All the Attendants were very nice, but not as attentive as our China Eastern Crew had been on the trip to China. The one common theme between both flights was bad Airline Food. I guess no matter what Air Carrier you fly on in this day and age, bad Airline food is a common given among all.