it feels like home

We arrived at SFO Sunday around 9 a.m. SF time, around Monday 1 a.m. BJ time, after a 12 hour direct flight.  Lotsa logistical last minute things on the BJ end, but in the end things worked.  Even  requiring LiLi to manage a cart with two giant suitcases rolling down terminal 3 entry's slope.  LiLi was a champ.  Good thing those trolleys have brakes.  

Our BFFs met us at the airport with balloons and a couple of cars for the six suitcases and two carry-ons each.  They schlepped all those bags up our stairs and into our house, which was quite a bit worse for wear with the latest set of tenants.  LiLi was in tears in the first few minutes as the tenants' dog literally ate her special living room chair, and the tenant's kids did sticker things in LiLi's room.  In addition, everything seems dingy and well, dirty.  We'll really miss our BJ Ayi!

My friend made the kids some of the favored yet unavailable-in-BJ Annie's Mac n Cheese, and made me a cup of tea.  She had already stocked the fridge and pantry, and was amazing, working efficiently around my foggy brain.  Mostly, I got in the way.

After our friends left, LiLi and I climbed into my old SF bed with a pile of holiday cards from the mail that my tenant-house manager put out for us.  I couldn't really focus on the holiday news in the cards.  The bed is so so soft, and feels like a giant cotton ball that swallows us up.  Like, for good.  We may never be seen again.

Everything feels a bit surreal and like maybe we'll wake up in the morning and tell each other about a dream we had last night where we lived in Beijing for a year.   Maybe we'll say it was a good dream, but it feels good to wake up, too.