Long long plane ride... haha! We are all travelling back home on the long plane ride. According to my handy dandy flight checker screen we are now over British Columbia, Canada with about 4 more hours to go until we land in Chicago. This is a long haul. Time to start reflecting back on the trip...

Some random thoughts:

1. -The people were kind, warm, welcoming and generous. I can’t say enough good things about the Chinese people that we met.
   

2. -Their definition of showskiing and our definition vary greatly. We primarily ski for fun and the enjoyment of the sport. To them it’s a job that they take very seriously. No matter what our reasons are for skiing on the water, we find a common ground out on that dock and behind the boat that makes everyone smile.
   

3. -There is great disparity between modern “westernized” China and rural China. They stand in stark contrast to each other. While every country has different socioeconomic classes, I was also struck by the disparity between poor and wealthy in China.
   

4. -While some communication was always possible, I feel a gap left by the fact that I cannot speak Chinese. That is a regret I have coming home from this trip. I wish that it was easier to communicate with everyone there, especially the Chinese skiers. They have coaches, while we share ideas. I had hoped to go there and share ideas with them. While we did pick up some doubles ideas from them there wasn’t an exchange of ideas on showskiing. Perhaps in the future that will change as American teams continue to visit China.
   

Some Thank You’s:

1. -Thank you to Nicole T for allowing me to participate on this trip... it was great! It was a unique opportunity for me to experience another culture that I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own.... Thanks Nicole!
   

2. -Thank you to the Quaker Oats company for making Quaker Chocolate Chip Granola bars. I lived on these for certain parts of the trip and probably wouldn’t have made it through without the 7 boxes of them I brought along... haha.
   

3. -Thank you to Mike C for taking some of us out and finding us some sweet deals on winter ski and snowboard clothing.
   

4. -Thank you to Paul for being my roomie for 11 days, putting up with me and most of all for NOT snoring and allowing me to get some sleep during the trip.
   

5. -The staff at the “Also-Milo” restaurant in Zhongxian restaurant were awesome! They kept me from starving during the second half of the trip with great food. Thank you!
   

6. -**Thank you to whomever created the homemade strawberry jam at the Also-Milo... that stuff is so good it’s like friggin’ catnip! I wanted to buy several gallons and bring it home!
   

7. -Thank you to Jackie of the Chinese Waterski Association for bringing us over and providing us with a great skiing experience!