Saying farewell to China and fellow travelers

At the end of the day was our farewell banquet, a celebration of the journey we had just accomplished, a celebration that included good food, good company and Chinese spirits. We had opportunity to tip and thank our national guides. We also didn’t want to forget the bus drivers who patiently took the time to assist Rodney up and down the steps on the bus and otherwise assist in anyway that they could. This would be our last meal with fellow attorneys and guests and it was indeed a celebration of the time that we had together and of all that was learned about law in China and all that the Chinese learned from us.

Today, we would say our goodbyes and return for the long flight home. The flight was long and not too much different than the flight to China. The difference on the flights home is that Rodney and I had already had much flying experience together, and this made flying home much easier. I think we were about ready to go home and rest from all of our busy activities. The flights home took about the same amount of time as the flights to China, but without an overnight stay in Los Angeles. Due to our crossing the dateline, the nature of time seemed to play a trick on us, in that although we flew for many hours, we would still get home on Friday, October 20, or at least to the Chicago Airport. We had another limo ride back to Monroe, WI, and by the time we got there, Saturday would be starting. Rodney was welcomed home with open arms. But it was late and we were tired and we did not talk a lot about our memorable trip. But it was a lot to sleep and dream on, and we promised to stay in touch and I promised to share my story and pictures.