First full day back in Peoria

After spending four months in China, today will be my first full day back in Peoria, Illinois.  Yesterday involved the plane ride back to Chicago, the ride in the car to Peoria, trying to adjust to the new sleep cycle, and starting to unpack.  Today should be more like a normal day at home.  We are going to the ICC North Campus at noon to have lunch.  The food is being prepared by the culinary arts students. They are not making the food for me, the lunch is something they do as part of the program.  After that I will go to the East Peoria campus and find out what and where I will be working when I start back to my regular job.  On Monday I put the side shields back on my glasses, set the alarm, pack my lunch box, and punch the time clock again.  That will make the trip to China officially over, as soon as I clock in on Monday.
I was thinking about some of the things that I have and have not done the last four months.  I made fresh brewed coffee for the first time in four months, yesterday.  I watched one person get on a bus that was at the middle of its route. Not only was she the only person to  get on the bus but she was able to find a place to sit.  That never happened in Xian.    I have not heard fireworks.  I saw it rain hard and with thunder and lighting.  I only saw it rain hard once in Xian and then it did not thunder.  I did not drink Moutai before going out for supper.  I did not use chopsticks, or eat rice or noodles.  I started a car.  I still have not driven a car in four months but I did start it.  I put clothes in the dryer for the first time in four months.  For the first time in four months I did not interact with Dr. Tim Murphy in some way, unless you count the QQ message I sent him.  Before the trip to China I never knew Dr. Murphy.  We worked together for four months, ate together about every night and I may never see him again.  Then again I may see him again, and see him in Xian, China.  You just never know.  I saw less people yesterday than I would have seen in only minutes in Xian.  It is so empty around here.  Today I looked out at the horizon and I saw the horizon.  In Xian things fade to gray but here the sky is blue and the air is fresh.  Did I mention that I did not hear fireworks or car horns, the constant sound of car horns.  I made my first to do list of things that I need to start on around the house.  I have not thought like that for four months.  I stopped myself from answering the phone and saying, "Wei" the Chinese word for hello when talking on the phone.  It will be hard to not said "Ni Hao" to people or "Xie Xie" but I will adjust.  I did not look at my watch and think about what time it was in Peoria and if I should call now or wait a few more minutes.  It is different to be back home but it is so good to be with my wife again.  It is like I never left and yet because I did go it seems like we are even closer now.

The one think that I did do yesterday that I did the whole time I was in Xian, was to think about China and think about the USA.  One thing about China is that every day was different in some way.  Every day I saw or experienced something that I had never seen or experienced before.  You could go for a walk and see something that you would never see in the USA.  It could be something big or just a little thing but every day you could have a new experience, good or bad, but new.  Next week I will return to work and walk the hallways of the campus and see for myself just how different the life style is between the US and China and how different the school systems are.  I will also teach my first welding class in four months.  Something tells me that welding class will be different from the Oral English classes that I taught in Xian.  One thing the welding class will have in common with my Oral English class,  the class room will not have air conditioning and it will probably be hot.

One person gets on a bus, the bus is almost empty.  Oh yeah, I am back home now.