First Impressions

Written on 01/28/09

I'm writing this as I'm sitting in the Seattle airport waiting for the last leg of my trip to Kalispell.
I flew out of Chiang Mai. Goobyes to my family weren't any easier than I'd imagined them to be. From Chiang Mai I flew to Bangkok, had a layover there for a few hours, from there to Taipai, Taiwan, and then the long flight to Seattle (about 10 1/2 hrs.)
Flying in here about all I could do was gasp, "Wow!" when I looked out the window and saw over the edge of the plane wing billowing gray clouds and behind them JAGGED, SNOW-COVERED PEAKS, and topping it all a glowing orangy red-pink sunset (one of the bestest colors in the whole wide world!:) I'm afraid the two ladies sitting next to the window never did quite grasp what all the fuss was about.
Let me just say...it's a different world.
I wanted to find a place where I could use the internet, so I was sitting there trying to figure out exactly how I was going toaccomplish this when all of a sudden it hit me that - Duh! - I can actually talk to nearly anybody I want and they'll actually understand me -- quite the novel thought! It feels very weird to have almost all the people around me chatting away in English. I actually almost feel like I'm intruding on people's conversations when I walk by people who are talking, or when I hear someone on the phone.
I might also add that almost everyone around me (including myself, I suppose) looks quite "weird" (i.e. huge people, big noses, strange haircolors,...)
Anyways.. I'll soon by "home" (not quite sure where I think that is anymore...)! Can't wait to catch a glimpse of that fluffy white stuff that covers the ground, though I'm not quite as sure about the cold.:) I've come this far safely and had a reasonably uneventful flight -- God's good! I'll get back with you later...