<< We’re posting this item on Dec. 24, but it was written on the Day we left China to return to the US. We were wrapping up a long, busy trip, and reflecting on all of it… >>
It’s difficult to process that the travel part of Zachary’s Journey of a lifetime is winding down today. We have a long day ahead of us and the anticipation is no longer about meeting him than it is about welcoming him to our home and our real lives. The FB post we made just before leaving Hong Kong was about the voice in Zachary’s head. And how he may be thinking that his life is now going to be bouncing from Hotel to Hotel lugging possessions in suitcases.
He’s never known a real home life. The loving people at the SWI saw to his needs as best they could, but he’s always been part of a larger group of children. All he’s ever known was right there within the confines of the SWI. When he walked out with our family, he walked away from that, into a world where he wasn’t sure who would take care of him, feed him, put him to bed or wake him up.
The adjustments and the adaptations are immense, so now the fun (i.e. hard work) begins. He’ll walk into our home, and everything will be foreign to him. There will be few people (e.g. our neighbors and dear friends Jen and James) that speak his language. The routines will all be new, the food new, as well. He’ll be introduced to our pets, he’ll see that our house that will become his HOME.
I hope he’s ready – because I know we are.
Sunday…
After a quick breakfast – or in some cases, no breakfast, we met AM & UC in the lobby. We made it to the HK airport on the 9:20 shuttle.
After we checked in, we changed our money, turned in our Octopus Cards, returned to currency exchange to change THAT money to USD, and gathered our stuff to get through security. That went fairly well, and we were on our way to the gate. Zachary sensed something was up and that this was NOT a normal day. We put him in the stroller, somewhat against his will, and then wound our way down escalators and elevators, onto Airport Trains between terminals, and finally to Gate 64. We extracted him from the stroller and let him stretch his tiny legs.
We searched around for some more food, but came up empty, except for a cup of mediocre coffee. The HK-SFO plane was a wide body, and looked full. The seating arrangements were fluid for the first 2 hours as we shifted the kids around to keep the peace.
Zachary was very active due to sensory overload (just as Tyler was on HIS trip home). There was a woman in the row ahead of ours, who was completely put off by all the activity and noise that the kids produced. She even called the flight attendant and complained loudly to him as he stood by her seat just in front of Lisa. There was even an exchange between Lisa and “the woman in 46G” – words were exchanged – even some dirty looks – it was hard to tell as I was sitting a few seats away.
Zachary finally settled into a 2.5 hour nap, before coming to, just as the meal cart was making pass #2. Tiny 4-year-old hands (that don’t function perfectly) trying to manage tiny silverware, picking at food on tiny trays, that were sliding around on a fold-down table in a too-narrow seat…what could go wrong? He picked at his food, making his typical mess on his clothes and the seats (and the carpet!).
After everything was cleared he actually settled in to a nice stretch watching bits of Hotel Transylvania II, and almost ALL of Paddington. He couldn’t decide between ear buds and headphones so he just watched the movies with no sound. He looked like he was following along just fine.
On the Long Haul Flights, the entertainment centers allow you to track the flight from beginning to end. This can be good and bad, for obvious reasons, since the flight to SF was 1 hours. I snagged screenshots every few hours to show the progression. Just skip the next few photos if you could care less. I won’t be offended…
The last hour was as rough as the first, but we managed to make it through, landing in SF, with no further incidents with “46G.” Immigration was its typical adventure and we were shuffled to the a long line with other US Citizens. No special treatment here, even as I flashed the Brown Packet in front of three different people! A nice female agent processed us through the window, and called for an escort to take us to the back room. The wait was only about 10 minutes as everything was checked and re-checked. We were cleared through and made our way out the gather our luggage for re-check.
Luckily our delay at immigration allowed UC to have all of our bags off the carousel, and loaded onto carts. Once again UM and UC were a HUGE help with getting everyone through the gauntlets of TSA Security, Immigration and Customs. We rescanned the bags and sent them through to our PHL flight.
SFO TSA was an absolute horror show. Sorry, that’s the fact, Jack.
It was not very well organized and the signage was marginal. There were not enough tubs/trays. We had to send multiple bags back through for no apparent reason….
But, at least the agents were rude and surly.
Again, we somehow made it through. Our Gate 75 was near the TSA checkpoint so we didn’t have to go far for seats. On the other hand, food was more of a challenge. The kids recalled coming through SF on the way to Hawaii this summer and wanted to find the Burrito place, and the sandwich place next door. Of course, these were at the far end of the terminal – so we made the walk, since we had time to kill (2+ hours). Burritos and Sandwiches were deposited into tummies and we were on our way backs to the gate.
Zachary got his second wind, and was running around the terminal, having been liberated again from his stroller confinement. In looking at the faces of some of the other passengers waiting to board, the sentiment was universal: “I hope that kid is NOT in the seat behind me!”
Before long, we boarded the flight for the final leg: SF – PHL. And so here I sit, typing this line as we are cruising eastbound, passing just south of Cleveland. Zach has been fairly quiet, napping a good part of the time. Everyone’s just watching the clock, as the minutes melt away, looking forward to our own beds, seeing our pets again, and starting down the road to helping Zachary find his place in our world.
<< Now, I’m back on Dec-24 time… >>
The rest of the journey passed without incident. We got off the plane in PHL, and headed back UP the terminal walkway toward baggage claim.
That’s when it hit me. That when it always hits me. It’s hard to describe…
As we walk toward baggage claim, my attention is pulled back to the exact same place, almost three weeks ago, when we were walking TOWARD our gate, and TOWARD our plane, and we were all filled with the anticipation and excitement that you read about in our first few posts.
It’s staggering to consider how much has happened and how all off our lives have been changed forever in just those three weeks. But the time compression is what hits me. These 20 days have taken 480 hours to pass – but in the few hundred yards it takes to walk through the terminal, those 480 hours collapse into what seems like just a moment in time.
We were just here…we were just getting ready to board our PHL – SF flight, 20 days ago. We were just getting coffee and some breakfast. As we passed the gate – this time going in the opposite direction – that we DEPARTED from 20 days ago, Ashley and I were discussing this time compression. She even pointed out the table that I was sitting at while I typed that FIRST travel day post! I’m a bit older, so I think I was much more affected by this than she was, but this gives me hope that she can appreciate how quickly we pass through these experiences.
It’s been true with EVERY one of our adoption trips. I recall even mentioning it to my sister Rita (she may not recall it…) And it ALWAYS hits me in the terminal, as we wind down the last hours of our journeys. I told you it was hard to describe…
We gathered our luggage, and said our goodbyes to UC and AM. This was more difficult than I imagined it would be. We were happy to be able to share such a momentous event and journey with them, and even more appreciative of their help with everything – from wrangling kids to shuffling luggage to boarding trains, planes and automobiles (literally!). We hope they enjoyed the experience as much as we enjoyed having them be such an important part of it with us. Without their help, this trip is nearly impossible.
One regret… we never got a last photo before we parted ways for the night. We headed out to Post 3 to meet our parking shuttle (Thanks Uncle Sean!), while they headed off for a good night’s sleep before their morning flight back home to Florida.
The drive home was quite ordinary, save for my glancing in the rear view mirror and seeing our whole family, together in our car for the first time ever. On the other hand, I guess it was extraordinary in its own way.
Life will never be the same – and neither will we.
Welcome Home, Zachary.