What time is it?

The biggest news at this time is that, after 36 hours and 50 minutes, we made it!

Chattanooga to Atlanta to Chicago:


then the 15 hour flight to Hong Kong:


then an overnight layover in the Hong Kong airport:

and Hangzhou at last.


Right now, we love:

+ kids' movies on screens at each seat, Cathay Pacific style
+ the friends who loaned us Nintendo games for the girls to play (thanks!!)
+ tea, tea, more tea
+ the idea of sleep
+ how lovely Chinese is in surround sound
+ the sight of Hangzhou
+ and last but not least – Savor, our English-speaking guide and currently the only person we know on the continent.


Within 5 minutes of stepping off the plane in Hangzhou, we were very aware of the vastness of the disconnect between the culture Mia has lived in and ours, and the enormity of the event that is about to take place for her and for us. Hangzhou has 7 million inhabitants, and while it is a wealthy city, there is deep poverty just below our hotel window. Just the trip from the airport to the hotel was an experience to process. Most importantly though, our daughter is here: She's one in 7 million, and she's ours.

News we received the day before we left: we learned that the Chinese holiday is working in our favor now, and we get to meet Mia Sunday instead of Monday.