Dirty Laundry

My first morning in Lijiang was by far my most difficult in China. I was feeling ill, self conscious, and totally out of my element. I was also worried I would make a bad first impression on the other members of our little group given my introspective state of mind. So it was with a heavy heart that I stepped out of my room and onto the balcony to sit at a little table and take cleansing yoga breaths. It was only then I noticed an oddly familiar smell, the strangely soothing scent of camp suds and wet polyester drying in the sun. "It is going to be fine," I told myself, "underneath our softshell layers we all have a little dirty laundry to air."

A few minutes later Doug and Gail popped out of their adjacent room and immediately put me at ease. Between Doug's kind and unflappable demeanor and Gail's humor and graciousness, I instantly felt better for having met them. Particularly when Gail asked, in all seriousness, if I had tried the fried bugs. "They're delicious!" she exclaimed, "they taste just like potato chips!" Okay Gail, I'll take your word for it.