latitude x longitude: my two month trip home

This trip was my first back to the US after my initial departure for China, about a year before. I was very eager to get back & catch up with everyone I had left behind, celebrate some special occasions, and complete my yoga teacher training.

I would be traveling from Chongqing, China to Hong Kong then across the Pacific Ocean along the top hemisphere (think the coldest parts of the world, ha.) & finally landing in Newark, NJ.

I made a quick trip to DC to see my sister in law, Amy, and meet her soon to be husband, Cameron all in the whirlwind of Amy needing hand surgery. I spent much of my first full day in the US laying on a waiting room floor with a venti blonde roast that did absolutely nothing to keep me awake.

DC that first day felt very strange to me - a kind of reverse culture shock, something I didn't think I would really have any struggles with, but it definitely occurred. Seeing crowds of people that weren't all Asian, all speaking (mostly) English, it was a little overwhelming. I had two distinct moments where I felt overwhelmed by it. I was on the phone with my mom while standing outside Chipotle. The combination of a food I had dearly missed & standing on a hustly, bustly city street during lunch time was, to simply put it, a shock. I was dealing with waves of exhaustion, and the emotions of my sister in law being in surgery my first day back, meeting my soon to be bro-in-law, & being within a few hours of just about everyone I knew. It was cray. The second experience was in Walgreens, when everything was marked in USD & two older people were having a conversation about something seemingly trivial, but in that moment, the a fact that I could understand them overpowered me & I stood in the middle of the hair products aisle smiling like an utter fool.

I then spent the first week with my in laws at their house, which has been dubbed "the most relaxing place on earth." With the winding country roads lined with corn fields, the star filled sky at night & the joys of wearing sweat pants all day & eating comfort foods - that title is apt.

Open streets, blue skies, fresh air.

thick grass & sunshine = post run selfie.

country road.

I spent as much time as I could stand outside, breathing deeply.

My next stop was to DC, where I would be spending an entire month of my trip. Between visits with one of my high-school best friends, Kelsey downtown, crashing at Amy's place with her four other roommates on capitol hill, prepping details for the wedding, and practically living at the yoga studio I did my training at - that month went by in two shakes.

a capitol hill sky scene.

It was during this part of my trip, maybe around day 8 or 9 of the 15 I had to complete for the training, that I put my phone into the washing machine. It was a very sad & pathetic sight had anyone been around to see the moment I realized said phone was in the washing machine, and the wallowing I did afterward.

Many photos we're lost, but I managed to piece whatever I could that was stored in the ominous "cloud" & cover up the hole that was my taking of any sort of photo for about a month. (this will include the end of training, Amy's wedding, my visit to see my parents & siblings and most of my time back in Norfolk.) It didn't make matters any better that I was trying to keep up with Jeremy who was still on the other side of the world, so I was strictly limited to wi-fi only texts via ipad and only when one of us was awake, which was a very narrow window.

During this time of the trip, Amy had a bachelorette party & it hit me how close we were to her wedding, one of the primary reasons for this trip. I couldn't wait to stand beside her as she married the man of her dreams.

I spent many a day during that following week traipsing around the city with Kelsey. It was glorious to have so much time to spend doing whatever we felt like. We went to the local coffee shops & cute neighborhood boutiques. We spent afternoons getting lost in Georgetown, and out on the balcony painting our nails. We had a memorable night full of laughter & champagne and a visit from an old friend from high-school summer camp, Ben, who happened to swing through DC from NYC that same week.

my first stumptown cold brewed coffee + this lovely lady.

details from Kel's apartment.

I don't know. Also the only photo of the two of us while he was in town.

Yoga teacher training was a whirlwind of sorts. One I wasn't exactly prepared for, even though I tried to be. I found myself feeling stretched, both mentally & physically and wanted to both rush through it to get it finished & slow down to soak up every minute of being in that peaceful studio setting. Knowing that the day I finished, Jeremy would be landing in NJ & we would be in the throes of wedding week for Amy Joy & Cameron made me antsy though, even though I tried to slow things down mentally.

I started each day at around 4:45am, when my alarm would go off & I'd arrive bleary eyed in the kitchen to make a hearty breakfast for myself, drink large mugs of coffee, and start my day slowly. I would leave for the studio around 6am on my trusty road bike.

One of my absolute most memorable moments of this trip was that chilly morning ride. I remember pedaling down the hill next to the capitol building, the lights - blurry streaks in my peripheral. A play list made specifically for the trip blaring in my headphones. Being up really early, well before the sun, was so rewarding. If the sun rose in China visibly, I would definitely go back to getting up early enough to watch it. The day felt so new, the excitement & possibility of it bursting at the seems. I would arrive at the studio at about 6:30am. The sun would be making it's slow appearance. I would usually sit on the curb outside the studio with my travel mug of coffee & watch the sky change colors. Sometimes I would catch Jeremy for a quick chat after his work day had finished. Typing all this now, those mornings are so tangible to me. As if they had happened yesterday.

sunrise on 14th & T.

partner yoga with my teacher training friend, Salena. & celebratory handstands on my last day.

The training itself was challenging. I was in the studio for 12 hours straight for 14 consecutive days. We would start the day with breathing/meditation, talk about the philosophy of yoga, the history of yoga, the texts that yoga was derived from & the more physical aspects of yoga, as in sequencing, proper cuing/alignment & anatomy. The physical aspect focused days were some of my favorites, but I found myself really enjoying the daily meditation/breathing practices we did as a group, usually in the first hour, so the sun would just be coming up when we started, and completely filling the room with golden light when we finished.

Coming from my religious background as a christian, I definitely found myself challenged in new ways with being present for some of the discussions regarding the philosophy of yoga. What those discussions did was not only teach me to "be in the world, but not of the world" but also reaffirmed my beliefs in God & that my trusting in Him and Him alone is where I place my devotion. Being one of the only christians in my teaching group (Salena was the only other one that I knew of, & of whom I am so grateful to have found in the group,) was a real struggle when we would chant or sing songs that I wasn't familiar with nor had any desire to participate in. It tested me, being in those situations, knowing that I needed to experience these things to obtain certification to teach something that I am so passionate about. I wanted to really understand the background of yoga (which is nearly impossible to understand,) but at a distance, of sorts. How I view yoga isn't how many other's may view it, and that's ok.

My yoga journey has been interesting, and something that I speak to more here.

At this point of my trip, I was elated to have finally finished something I was so excited to complete, my husband was finally in the same country as I was after a month of being apart, and one of my best friends was getting married. Cue the confetti.

I turned into wedding craft lady & set to work with gold spray paint, paint pens & twine to help finish up the last of the wedding crafts for Cameron & Amy's big day.

Before we knew it, it was the big day & it was magical & beautiful & lovely.

Hooray for LOVE.

There was a week after which Jeremy & I spent time together back at his parents house in PA. We enjoyed the slowness to the day, sleeping in, lots of coffee & lounging. It was wonderful. Jeremy then shipped back off to China to go back to work & I spent another 3 weeks in the states.

Hence commencing lots of facetiming once again...

excited faces upon his arrival in Hong Kong after a very long wait while he crossed the Pacific.

At this point in my trip, I was still without a phone, and thus, very few photo's were taken. I road tripped down to see my parents in South Carolina with my sister where I managed to retrieve one from my mom when she asked if we could take a "selfie" together..

After a week with my parents spent relaxing & driving around the mountains, Jenn & I headed back to Virginia, where I would spend a few days before my final trip North before departing for China again.

In Norfolk, I caught up with a lot of old friends. I got to see my nephew, Levi for the first time since he was born.

my brother & his boy.

love love love him.

I got to spend an entire day with one of my best friends, Kristina, who was living in San Diego at the time & just happened to be flying over to VA while I was in town. #winning

We spent the day at the beach doing partner yoga (my first time seeing the Atlantic since before I had left for China,) making target runs, catching up, going to Kristina's first yoga class ever & making a visit to Cogans, the obligatory place we almost always would agree on meeting up when we both lived in the same place.

One of my best days back, for sure.

I got to see & catch up with so many people, it felt amazing dropping in at the gym I used to train at & seeing the expressions on peoples faces when they didn't recognize me for that first glance. Lunch dates, early morning coffee, a drink after dinner - trying to catch up with everyone I possibly could. It was so good.

I traveled North a final time to grab the rest of my stuff from the in-laws & say my final family goodbyes.

leaves on my old car & the time we gave AJ an undercut (during which time I decided I wanted one too, but I eventually talked myself off the ledge.)

I spent my last 4 days in the US with some of my very best friends, Shevon & Charles and their little one year old bundle of baby love, Cameron in NJ. We filled those days with lots of lovely US-y things. Target runs, Whole Foods/Trader Joes stock ups for my return trip, eating chipotle, drinking wine, brunches & walks in the bright orange leaves. They really showered me with love those last few days, which I am so grateful for.

I spent my last days taking pictures of the autumn sky & the trees full of brightly colored leaves. I also got to see my Aunt & Uncle who lived in the area for a quick dinner too, which was also wonderful.

the glory of fall.

My last night was spent in front of a fire with a a cheese plate & the pumpkin beer I had been searching high & low for since I had arrived in the states. I found it two days before I was to leave for China.

It was perfection.

One of the things I repeatedly came back to during those two months was the people who took time out of their days to mark out time to see me, even if it was only for thirty minutes in between clients or appointments, or before/after work. To feel that kind of love - it is immense & appreciated.

Oh & the sky. The SKY. I found myself staring up at it so frequently during these two months; way more than I had ever done before I left. It wasn't hard as almost every night there was a picture perfect sunset waiting to be stared at.