I Loved Visiting China - So I'm Going Again -- With A Different Woman

I still feel badly that (1) my prior posting was so negative, (2) I never finished this blog and (3) I have yet to organize/post the photos for sharing. But you certainly will understand that even though the one posting was negative (or, in my view/style, bluntly honest) -- I truly loved visiting China. In fact, I loved it so much that I've decided to go again for another 3 week trip -- this time adding Beijing to the journey. It's good that I didn't wrap up this blog -- because I intend to revive it so that it will cover this new additional adventure. And with this second trip in the planning stages, I've found renewed energy to finally organize and post the photos from the first trip -- and will soon provide a link.

A little background on the new trip: The trip was planned and tickets purchased as a solo trip because Deb had already, long ago, planned and reserved flights to travel to West Virginia and Virginia to visit her dad, her sisters and our son/daughter-in-law (in Williamsburg, VA). I knew Deb was less interested in traveling to China a second time -- so it seemed like a natural to travel there while she was on her trip to the east coast. I, on the other hand, thought there could be no better time to visit again than while Staci (our youngest) and Martin (her husband) were still there.

So, with little thought to the details of the trip -- and only the general sense that if I was going to return to China a second time, I should also plan a visit to Beijing and see some of the country between there and southern China, I purchased my tickets departure from Portland on April 7 to Beijing and my return from Hong Kong on April 27.

I purchased the ticket on February 22 and let our kids know of my plan. By the evening of February 23, I got a call from Debi Anne (our oldest child) inquiring about my plans and my willingness to have her come along on the trip. As you might imagine, I was delighted -- I had even briefly thought about inviting her but quickly dismissed the thought as unworkable given her employment and the busy life she and her husband have raising our two grandchildren (ages 6 and 3). Debi (note the different spelling from my wife "Debbie" -- yeah, we hadn't anticipated the confusion when we named her!) had already begun to address the work/child rearing issues and was getting encouragement from her husband (who had the opportunity to visit China while in college) and her friends. In short order and with coordination around the globe with Staci -- Debi now has tickets to join me for the first 10 days of the trip.

I truly feel blessed to be making this dad/daughter trip. I've changed the title of this blog to fit the fact that it will now cover both Debbie and my November/December 2009 trip and Debi/my April 2010 trip. More postings to follow.