Homesick

Coming home to dc has brought me all these feelings that I did not anticipate. Many people thought it was crazy that I flew half way around the world for a wedding. However, given what has happened in hong king the past 2 weeks, this was a much needed break from the place. Everything here just had something about it that I needed to get away from.

With the memories still fresh, here are some fundamental differences that hit home during this trip.

1. Glamor. Hong Kong is so much more modern and glamorous than NYC or DC. No doubt at all. Even the airport is more upscale than Tysons Galleria, the most upscale mall in the Northern Virginia area.

2. Service. There are WAY more service personnel in Hong Kong than in America. Going shopping for a David Yurman bracelet was a way difference experience in US than HK.

3. Air. It is unbelievable how great it is to run outside in DC. The crisp, clean air that makes you want to be outside forever. Even on a good day, running outside in Hong Kong is hazardous to one's health.

4. Transportation. Everything was in cars/driving in US. Now, it's great that I got to ride in a sweet car to a countryside wedding this weekend. HK public transportation is the best I have ever seen. Trip back from the airport was fast, efficient, and comfortable.

5. Food. The calories in US is out of control. I think I gained 5 lbs this weekend.

6. Space. I got lost in my own townhouse in Virginia. I really liked being away from the crowds here. It's good where there's plenty of space and places to move in the US.

7. Football. The joy I experienced watching the Redskins-Packers overtime game and the cowboys-titans game was amazing. I would give anything to have football access (at a decent time) here. Alas, the 12 hour time difference ruins any possibility of that.

8. Credit Cards. It's good to be able to swipe your credit card everywhere again and not carry around loads of cash. And, they accept Amex everywhere. Score.

9. Customs. As a US citizen, it took me 1/2 hour to get through US customs (I shudder to think about the internationals). After being in Hong Kong for 2 months, the automatic booth let me in and out in about 5 minutes.

10. Friends. It's been too long.

Overall, I think Hong Kong and the US ranks pretty evenly with each other with its own pluses and minuses. However, I didn't realize how much I missed the US until I returned.