Back in the US!

When I came home from my mission I was more appreciate of the US, but I didn’t really think it was that much better.  Heck, I actually thought thought that the better food might be good enough reason to live in Taiwan.  Well, this time back I was filled with a much greater sense of how amazing America is.  The clean air, the soft beds, the heated houses, just… you name it, we seemed to have it.  That isn’t to say America is perfect, but it has been nice to be home.

 

Well, on to what happened this week.  Monday was probably the longest meeting I have ever been to.  For about six and a half hours we sat around and listen to reports.  The reports themselves, and even the commentary was just fine.  It just went on much, much too long.

On Tuesday I finished packing up for heading home.  After that I went to class and had my writing final.  It was actually crazy hard.  I was not expecting that.  Well, after class I went and took care of moving out of my apartment.  Utilities cost more than I had been expecting, but I guess that is how the cookie crumbles.

For dinner I went out with my roommate, Trevor, Drew, and the Shurillas to get steak.  It was good food, and especially fun conversation.  Couldn’t think of a better way to spend my last night.  After that we headed back to the Shurillas’ place, and ate some really good chocolate covered chocolate wafers.  They did make my tummy smile.

 

Wednesday was the big trip home.  In the morning I got breakfast with Dayu, and then I headed out to the airport.  I had good conversation with the driver.  At the airport everything went smoothly until I got to security.  There I had to take apart my carry on because there were tools in it.  Apparently without thinking, I had put my bike tools inside my carry on.  I should have just let them throw away the whole thing, but instead listening to them I tried to see if I could get it on my checked bag.  Well that was already too late, so I just had to throw it away and then re-go through check-in.

The flight to Beijing was actually pretty nice, we even were served a meal.  Certainly nicer than most American domestic flights.  The next problem I hit was going through security again.  This time there was another one of my bike tools that was also unacceptable.  Gosh, I wish I had just thrown away the whole set when I had a chance…

The flight home went faster then I expected, but unforunately while Air China might have nice domestic flights, their international flights suck.  We only had two small meals, and there wasn’t even power on the plane!  It made the flight a lot more annoying then it needed to be.  I was so hungry…

Well, I made it to SFO, and everything was going pretty well.  I got back my checked bags and the first thing I did was put the rest of my bike tools in it.  Customs was fine, and then I got onto the next plane.  This time I was stopped so they could checkout the PS3 in my baggage.  You never know about those rouge PS3s…

While waiting for the next flight I met a really nice women who bought me a shake to watch her laptop.  It was perfect since I was starving, but also feeling to poor to buy airport food.  I was able to find power and internet in the terminal so it was pretty good.

Eventually I boarded the plane and we got to SLC without much problem.  After I got off I went to visit my dad.  It was good to see that he was doing better after his surgery.  Next I went home, ate some Mexican food, and then went to bed.  Wow, I knew that American beds are soft, but I forgot just how stop.  I nearly rolled off the bed when I first crawled in as it actually gave under me and let me roll, something I was not used to in China.

 

Thursday was my return to school.  Not until I was actually back at school did it feel weird to be in America.  I have to admit seeing BYU again was crazy.  The first thing I did was head into my office.  Apparently me computer form last year was still mine, and one the others gave me there pair of 24” monitors, so once again I am back in computer heaven.  It blows my mind just how nice it is to use 2 24” monitors.  I am starting to wonder how I did without them in China.

Class was crazy hard, not because of the material, but rather because it was all I could do not to fall asleep.  I was so tired thanks to jet lag.  I have never had it so bad before.  Class with Dr. Honey is even more crazy then I thought it would be.  That class is going to be interesting.

As I was preparing to get on the bus, I came to find out that the buss apparently had already left.  I am going to get a car rather quickly, the bus system in Utah is so backwards.  I wish Nanjing’s busses would come to Utah, and then maybe I could get places in reasonable amounts of time…

Friday was more of the same.  I spent most of the morning in my lab, and got all of my stuff set up.  In the afternoon I had classes.  I think I am going to be busy this semester, it seems like I have picked professors that like busy work.

 

Saturday was a day feel with pretty much only homework.  Hopefully with the holiday on Monday I will be all caught up before school starts again. 

 

So that is where I am at.  I am back in America and loving it.  The only annoying things about being home was the sheer immodesty of girls.  Man, it really blew my mind seeing what passes as acceptable attire in this country.  Luckily I was able to get to Utah pretty quickly, and things are better here, especially in Utah Valley.  Otherwise I can’t say that anything else isn’t much better then Nanjing.

I will be happy to finish my internship, but glad that I could break up my time in China.  China is a great place, but nothing quite compares with living in the US.