Before departure

As parents, Andrea and I insist that each of our children learn a foreign language. In 2009, when Joshua and Ari were learning Japanese we took them to Japan for two weeks. Zachary went to Tennessee with his nanny because at 4 years old he wouldn't remember anything from the trip and traveling with a four year old is a hard. He asked about being left out. I explained that he wasn't studying Japanese and he asked if I'd take him to China. "Sure, if you're still studying Chinese between 5th and 6th grade we'll go to China."  This is that trip.

Andrea planned much of the trip with our friend Donna. We're trying to see much of the country in under a month. It is insane.

We spent the weekend packing, telling the credit card companies that we'd be in China, and other fun stuff.  On Sunday night or friends Gabor and Zsuzsana came over for coffee and Gabor volunteered to drive is to the airport.

While they were there Lori stopped by.  She and her boyfriend model for me and they are a really cute couple.  I was really sad to find that they were separated and asked too many personal questions when she modeled for me on Thursday. I have this picture in my mind off them as a perfect couple; they remind me of Andrea and me at their age. I don't really know them that well, so it is probably all in my head. I dispensed advice designed to help them get back together and when I found out that she was couch surfing I offered to let her stay at our house while we were gone. I took forever to show her around, although I don't know how it took so long. I still managed to leave out enough to fill a two page note.