A mix of emotions

Today is my fourth day in Asia. It's been quite an experience so far.  I find the city to be fascinating and I am remembering how much I love traveling abroad.  When I traveled in college, I stayed at cheap hotels (and hostels on occasion), took the metro/subway everywhere I went and ate on a budget.  This time I'm staying in a fancy hotel with impeccable service, I take a taxi everywhere and I enjoy fine dining (and without having to pay for it myself- bonus).  It wasn't really feeling like "me" though, so yesterday I insisted on experiencing the crowds, the smells, the lines, and the experience of taking the MTI (their underground subway) instead of the taxis.  It made me reminisce about all of the times my friends and I figured out the subway systems in cities such as Munich, Berlin, Rome, Florence, Venice when we couldn't read the language, didn't really know where we were going and somehow found our way.  It was always a fun feeling of having conquered the unknown.  Needless to say, I enjoyed my MTI rides yesterday. 

The people here are incredibly gracious.  In a lot of ways, the city reminds me of New York City with the dense population, skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle. But in New York, you constantly hear cars honking and in general it feels that folks are focused on themselves.  But here in Hong Kong, you very rarely hear honking and the people are tremendously polite. Even more polite than Minnesotans, if you can believe that. :)

On the one hand I am feeling grateful and excited for this adventure, but on the other hand I feel overwhelming sadness.

One of my co-workers, who was supposed to be traveling with me, didn't show up for the flight this past Sunday.  He had been sick the entire week prior so I thought maybe he was too sick to travel, but I thought he would have informed us. I learned last night that he unexpectedly passed away last Saturday.  He leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. My heart is so heavy and I have trouble wrapping my mind around the enormous loss that his family just endured.  The brevity of life....      Oh, Lord, You hear his family's cries. You feel their indescribable pain. Wrap your loving arms around them. Wipe their tears. Give them hope of seeing their husband and father again, in your holy kingdom. Use this tragedy to draw your people closer to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love from halfway across the world,
Whitney