Travelogue 7: Beaver Falls, PA (Pennsylvania)

When living in a foreign country like China, especially in a place as remote as Xinjiang, time spent with family and friends becomes that much more valuable to you. For the past two years we have spent all major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas alone, and trying to make up for that lost time when we return for a visit can be difficult. It can also be a ton of fun!

The fact that we hadn't seen my sister in over a year coupled with the horror of being stranded in JFK International airport made the reunion with her that much sweeter. I know I mentioned this before, but my sister actually drove from the westernmost part of Pennsylvania where she lives to JFK airport in the dead of night to save us from our misery at the airport - and I still can't believe it! The night Meg drove to JFK, I slept on the floor, and Tiff watched over our baggage. When Meg arrived, I took over driving while the girls zonked.

Meg had a wonderful weekend planned out for us, and although we might have messed up part of it not flying in like we were supposed to, we enjoyed every part of being with her.

1. Our first stop was a PA State Park where we camped for two nights, I (tried) to build a fire (the logs were wet, I tell you!!), and floated down a nearby river to tan our Chinese-like, lilly-white bodies. Unfortunately it's going to take a lot more than just a couple hours floating down a river to fix this milky complexion the Chinese find so attractive.
2. Meg showed us all around her small town, where she works, where she lives, etc. I have to put this plug in because I'm just so impressed with my sister: not only does she work in a rehab center, but she volunteers at an old-folks home regularly and is getting involved at her local church. That's just a lot of helping people and she does it because she really cares for these people (and it shows).
3. We went to a Pirates baseball game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, enjoying the view from the nosebleed section and watching the home team getting slaughtered. We were so far up in the nosebleed, in fact, that I think the lack of oxygen affected our mental capacities resulting in the picture you see below. I'm sure we make our parents proud.
4. We had a good time getting together with all of Meg's friends which included a cookout on Sunday night. Sometimes it feels like you get to know a person better when you hang out with their "crowd", you know?
   

Well that about sums up our adventure getting back into the States for our summer break. We had a blast hanging out with Meg and now it's time to give a few days to our parents. We're all looking forward to watching the Olympics and hope that everything goes smoothly (and safely).