Back in the States!

We had SUCH a great time in China, but are so glad to be back in the states! It is hard to believe that just 24 hours ago we were on the other side of the world. We got in this morning around 6 a.m. after 34 hours of travelling. I journaled while we were there and plan to update you all here but I am exhausted tonight... so just the highlights for now!

My favorite things about the trip:

• Climbing the Great Wall - once in a lifetime experience!
• Shopping at the bazaar (the authentic China Town)
• Boat tour of the Grand Canal
• Rickshaw tour including lunch at a Chinese home

Some of the things I missed most about home:

• The sun and fresh air! The pollution was terrible over there... you couldn't see the sun through all the smog so it always looked foggy out.
• People actually understanding a simple question like "where is the bathroom?"
• BATHROOMS! TOILET PAPER! The bathrooms there are disgusting... they were nothing more than a hole in the ground (which you had to squat over), smelled terrible, and never had paper products.
• Food... lots of it, and lots of different kinds. Each day we had Chinese for lunch and dinner, served on a Lazy Susan. I will never look at a Lazy Susan the same way again.
• Customer service - it's just not the same in another country
• Talking to friends and family every day
• Internet!

That's all for now... I'm going to leave you all in suspense until I have the energy to post more. :) I have 800 pictures and about 100 souvenirs to share, so there's definitely more to come!