I'm HOME!

Hey everyone! I offically landed on Canadian soil at 2am this morning. The 20 hours proceeding my homecoming can only be described at pure, concetrated, bad luck for myself and everyone within a 1 kilometer radius of myself.

So I get to the Beijing Capitol airport several hours before my flight time. I REALLY didn't want to miss my flight and everything in China has an air of unpredictability. I just wanted to cover all of my bases. So I get there and wait at my gate a while. I get on and take off is delayed slightly. I get a bit nervous, but the flight attendants seem pretty confident that the delay is pretty minor. As I was getting myself comfortable, a man two rows ahead of me starts having a grand mal seizure. Paremedics had to be called in and he had to be removed from the plane. So that delayed take off for another hour. But atleast it happened while we were still on the ground. I don't want to think about what would have happened if he started seizing 30, 000 ft. above Siberia! Anyway, so we take off and a baby across the isle from my starts bawling. And doesn't stop until 10 minutes before we land in Newark, 13 hours later. So we land in majestic and enchanting Newark, New Jersey about 15 minutes behind schedule. No big deal. However, this before I get on the phone with my mom and I learn about the massive storm in Toronto. The skies in New Jersey looked pretty clear, so I figured she was just my mom making mountains out of molehills as she always does. Anyhoo, so I head to my gate. They have the wrong city on the board. So I went back to the screens and catch myself up to speed. Its changed to another gate and delayed. So I go to that gate and its another wrong city. So I go back to the screens and notice that its on time again and at the original gate. So I go back there and that is when I realize that Continental is SCREWED UP! Every flight heading anywhere in Canada and the northeast US is delayed or cancelled. So I go to a customer service counter to get some answers. Anway long story short, its a that the second gate and delayed a second time. I make it on the plane and take my seat. I board around 9:30pm. Take off... 12:45am! So I finally land at Pearson in Toronto at 2am. Leaving a foriegn place that you love (like Japan, NZ, or Australia) is always sad. But returning to the familiarty of home is always awesome when you haven't been around in a while. I actually forgot that they redesigned the 20 dollar notes!

To express my mood at 2 o'clock on the morning of June 20, I am posting this picture:
Yes, even Ashley Churchill flips the bird when she feels the situation calls for it. And referrs to herself in third person when the mood strikes her.

I get home, power is completely out from the storm. I wash the 36 hours of sweat and grossness off and pass out.

So today was pretty uneventful. First item on the agenda was to get an XL double double from Tim Horton's. When I'm abroad, I actually have dreams about Tim Horton's. That can't be healthy. I replaced my red roots backpack. The zipper broke somewhere in Europe and it took me a year to replace the damn thing. Bought several cans of pea soup. Yet another vice of mine that is not carried in forgien countries. Helped an extremely elderly man off the subway and took him to the currency exchange at Yonge and Bloor. Now I'm about to make dinner.

To update on my summer concert interary; I now have tickets to three of Hanson's dates for the summer promo tour. I for sure will be attending Boston, Rhode Island, NYC. Probably more as dates are released. And yes I realize exactly how far gone I am. This is also including Cary Brothers, Billy Talent and Muse.

I would also like say a word of warning to anyone who ever plan on visiting China. In China, this is what they call a toilet. But if you're smart, you can tell what type establishments exclusively have 'Chinese Style' and which also have 'Western Style'.

And yes, I know I talk about toilets at length to a point where it makes people question my sanity. But I've listened to people discuss to great lengths about the price of shoe laces. We've all got issues.

Anyway; the next time I venture outside what I consider home, the 3 people that read my blog will be the first to know the truth about it. I've never been to Boston or Rhode Island. Any reccomendations?

ashleychurchill@hotmail.com

Peace out!

AC