Today we’re leaving Shanghai at 3:55 in the afternoon, so we had a relaxing morning.  I got up at 7 and was down to breakfast about 8.  Watched some TV and then the bus departed at noon.  We arrived at the airport about 1.

After checking in and making it almost all the way through the immigration line, the ticket agent appeared and started looking for people going to Chicago.  When he found Jerry, he motioned him to come with him and I heard something about baggage.  As the rest of us were joking in the line he motioned for me to come along as well.  We walked back to the baggage check room where they had Jerry’s suitcase.  They needed him open it up and then open his shaving kit.  They were looking for a lighter – which he didn’t have.  Then he closed it back up and we returned to the back of the line.  From there it was an uneventful trip through immigration and security.  Then about an hour and a half wait for our departure.

After pushing back from the gate and getting lined up we had about a half hour delay for a passenger medical issue – though we would be heading back to the gate at one point.  Details are a bit sketchy but it sounded like an older woman with perhaps some sort of diabetic issue.  She eventually came around and we took off.  14 hours later we landed in Chicago!

We had a three hour layover so there was plenty of time to get through customs and immigration which was uneventful as usual – always like to hear the “welcome home”!  From there it was a short flight to MSP where Jackie picked us up.  Got my car at Jerry’s and was home by about 10:30.  Had caught my second wind at that point and unfortunately didn’t get to sleep until about 3am – good thing I’ve got one more vacation day before heading back to work!

All in all, it was a really great trip.  China is definitely worth the visit- there’s so much history there that we really don’t get much exposure to here.