Trip Summary - Off to Beijing!

Friday, November 4th, 2005: Today was a very full day. Up at the crack of dawn to finish packing and get to the airport for our two-hour flight to Beijing. This would be Sammie's first experience in an airplane and, of course, she loved it and took it all in stride. Mom was a bit of a wreck thinking of what she was leaving behind but yet happy knowing that she was going to an amazing new life. Very mixed emotions. The tears were streaming down my face as the airport took off and Sammie (believe it or not) looked out the window and actually waved.

We had beautiful, unseasonably warm weather in Changsha. The only problem with this being that many of us brought warm fall clothing, and we were carrying around little furnaces. These girls are hot!! They're nicknamed 'spicy girls' for good reason! Most of us in the group were quite uncomfortable in the last few hours, having checked out of our hotel rooms, and waiting in the heat. But the babies took it all in stride. Our stay in Changsha was a pleasure. From what we experienced, it is a large, clean city, with beautiful surroundings. It felt completely safe to walk anywhere, and people were very welcoming.