Final Night

Well, my trip has come to its end and I head to the Hong Kong airport in an hour to fly home.

It's been a great experience for so many reasons. I've learned a lot- like how to abseil into caves, swear in Dutch, and come up with creative ways to use equally creative toilets. =)

But more seriously, I've now experienced the cultures from all five major world religions. Reading a book about Buddhism probably does not achieve the same effect as talking to a former monk for a few hours about how he meditates, and watching a documentary on Islam is different than visiting a mosque and dining next to women wearing full niqabs, who smile at me with their eyes.

I've made friends with people from all over the world, and have probably learned as much about Europe, Israel and South Africa as the countries I've visited. And of course, I am thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to learn so much about China which I'm sure will play a big role in our future, as well as Vietnam which played a big role in our past.

At home topics like politics and religion are usually kept "off-limits" in business and family reunions (well, my family reunions), but in traveling they are usually some of the first topics of conversation.

But even aside from the travel, this has been the first time in my life where I've had this much time and freedom to learn about whatever I want, and I've visited places as diverse as a Petroleum museum in Borneo, the War Remnants Museum in Vietnam, and the Space Museum in Hong Kong... in addition to having a lot of time to read.

I'm looking forward to getting home. I am writing from a nice hotel lounge (I splurged on a boutique hotel in Central Hong Kong for my final two nights) and there is a business lunch occurring in the room next to me. Observing them gives me a rush of adrenaline - both excitement about getting back to work and nerves about reality.

I have been jotting down a few things I am excited about getting home to: Meeting a close friend's first baby, my 10-year reunion, finally seeing how Lost Season 4 ends, this restaurant in Huntington Beach that makes killer organic breakfast burritos, and of course my cat Toby and my family and friends. I haven't decided whether or not I'm excited to get home to this circus of an election, but it should make for an interesting two months, at least.

I'm excited to get back into a routine. I can't wait for yoga class and the gym. My feet have taken a beating on this trip and I'm looking forward to a serious pedicure and working on them for a few hours with a pumice stone (and maybe some Clorox bleach.)

For my final night, I made a reservation for one at a nice restaurant on Hong Kong's famous "Peak." When I was getting ready, throwing on shoes from Sydney, earrings from China, a ring from Bali, a wrap from Malaysia and finally mascara from the USA, I had one of those look-in-the-mirror-and-feel-a-rush-of-something moments that I'm sure many people do during big events in their lives. I said a silent prayer thanking God for the people in my life who supported me in this, and headed out.

Dinner was very nice, as was this trip.