East Asia || Day 15

7/30/12 - 10:00 a.m. - A few days later and I'm finally recovered from jet lag enough to write about how the last day of our trip was. After we got back to our dorms on the 25, I showered, turned in my room keys and shower card and began to pack everything up for our long journey home. I finished packing about midnight and laid down for one last night of sleep in my room. But it seems that even though all week I had been craving just one minute of a lone time, I finally had the room to myself and it was too quiet :) I missed all my girls! When you've been sleeping in a teeny room with three girls (it wasn't that small, but small when you fit 4 people and all their stuff and their beds in there) you just get used to hearing people talking or someone being on their phone. It was lonely, and I missed them! I tried listening to music to help me sleep, but I just couldn't seem to fall asleep until about 3 o clock. I woke up about 6 a.m. to get my stuff together, take one last look around the place I called home for two weeks and then met everyone in the lobby about 6:40 a.m. to get on our bus to the airport!

We rode the bus with several of the other Americans who were leaving that day and we all sang worship songs together as we made our way to the airport. It was so incredibly nice to get to sing those songs freely and openly. The bus driver couldn't speak English so he didn't know what we were saying. It was probably one of the best feelings in the world. We didn't have to see who was around or worry about someone hearing us or change the words to hide what we were really talking/singing about.

Once we got to the airport, it took us a little while to find the right terminal we needed to be at. Eventually we figured it out and waited to check in for our flight (we could only start checking in 90 minutes before boarding time). Then we made our way to the gate and waited for our flight, which was delayed about 40 minutes.

Eventually, we made it to the South Korean airport. HOORAY. Wi-fi! Bathrooms! Food! We had about a 4 hour lay-over so we just got to relax and email our families. It was so nice! What was not nice however is knowing that we only had a 2 hour layover once we got to LAX and that we were going to have to make it through customs, change terminals, get our boarding passes, and go through security... That's a lot of stuff to do in 2 hours. Especially when 30 minutes of that is boarding time for your flight... and then your plane from South Korea gets delayed 40 minutes. So as we left South Korea we were a little nervous, but we figured we could make up most of that time in the air, and worst-case scenario we could just take a later flight to Dallas. At least we would be in the United States. Worst, worst-case scenario, we could just rent a car and drive home or hop on a bus. So we weren't too worried, just not looking forward to running through the airport like crazy people.

Which is exactly what we did. Our flight landed about 30 minutes behind schedule. We all got on a bus that took us to the customs area. Everyone was really nice and welcomed us home. But after we passed through customs we found out that we had to pick up our bags, and then re-check them with American Airlines. So we grabbed our bags and ran - keep in mind that all of us had just gotten off a 12-hour plane (which I will recap in a minute) and had to go to the bathroom pretty badly. I was seriously worried that not only would I be running to get through security, but that I would have to go through security and have to explain to them why I'm 20 years old and just wet my pants.

After a long trek of sprinting through the airport, getting our bags checked, boarding passes printed and trying to get through security with the extremely talkative guy that was taking his time getting everyone through and wanted to talk to each person about how their trip was gonna be, where they were going (or in my case how he came home the night before to his nagging wife telling him to take out the trash) we made it to the gate with 5 minutes to spare! Which we all used to go to the bathroom, wash our face, brush our teeth and get super excited knowing we were only one 3 hour plane ride from going home! It was a crazy hour and half that's for sure. But I feel like now I could definitely win the Amazing Race. At one point there was a moving sidewalk that a lot of people were on. I knew I could get there faster if I just ran on the carpet next to it, so I did. They all stared, but whatever. I beat them.

I'll take a little break from all the chaos to go back and talk about the 12-hour flight. It seemed to go by slightly faster than the one on the way there. This time I wasn't as worried about making sure I got sleep because I knew that I could always sleep when I got home. I watched a few movies and rested for about 15 minute increments here and there. This plane was a little smaller than the one on the way there and my seat was in the middle of the middle aisle, so it was hard to get comfortable. However, I was seated next to a lady from India (surprise, surprise) and she couldn't speak English, so she kept asking me for help whenever the flight attendants came around. I mostly just used motions and she understood what I was saying. Then when it was time to fill out her customs form, she wrote her name on it then handed me her form, passport, and a pen haha. I helped her fill it out to the best of my ability. She didn't have the information for some of it, but I'm assuming that someone else would've helped her at the customs area. She was in a wheelchair though, so I only got up once during the flight, cuz I didn't want to make her move around too much, which is why I made the wetting my pants comment earlier. It seriously might have happened.

Skip forward now to our flight home! It was the shortest flight of the trip, but felt like the longest! I did get to have ice water though which was nice! The flight attendant asked me what I wanted to drink and I said "water". He said "with ice?". "YES!". I'm sure the two ladies next to me thought I was a little nuts. They were really nice, but very businessy. I kept checking my watch to see how much longer we had and then as we got closer I kept smiling and I'm pretty sure once I saw Six Flags out the window I started clapping. At that point I knew that even if the plane crashed, at least I'd be in Texas! So we finally made it to the airport! I think if the pilot had come on and said "looks like were gonna have to wait a while for our gate to be available, we're just gonna sit on the runway" I would have gone out the emergency exit. We all got off the plane and waited for everyone from our group to get through and then we made it down the escalators to our friends and family waiting below! It was so nice! Everyone made signs for us and brought us flowers. My mom made blueberry muffins for everyone (I had told her we were all missing breakfast foods!). It was great to be home!

I miss it so much, but I'm grateful that the Lord brought us home safely and for the opportunities we have here!

1 Thessalonians 3: “6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom