Ian’s 2022 USA Trip 1: A Trip I Waited 12 Years For

Flipping Through the Chapters of the Past with Me

I’ve always had the habit of keeping a bullet journal, and I’m so glad I recorded everything. It allows me now, two years after that trip, to look back on those times and compile them into a complete article.

This article documents my homecoming journey to the United States after a twelve-year absence, sharing my experiences and my reflections.

For me, this was more than just a trip; it was a turning point in my life!

As for how this all began, and the life-changing, unforgettable realizations from that time, you can check out the previous article.

So, let’s get started! Join me on a time machine back to a journey filled with excitement, uncertainty, anticipation, nostalgia, and a mix of complex feelings!

Departure: A Clash of Memories and Reality

On December 14, 2022, the Covid situation in Taiwan was still quite severe, but I decided to set off anyway on this journey that could wait no longer.

I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Looking at the United Airlines plane I was about to board, I thought to myself, “I’m just moments away from departure. This journey I’ve waited over a decade for is finally about to begin!”

My first flight was from Taiwan to San Francisco, a journey of about eleven hours.

Although I had experience with long-haul flights from my time as a high school exchange student, that was twelve years ago. Plus, due to the pandemic, I hadn’t flown in three years, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about the long flight.

My seat was by the window, with two other passengers next to me. I reminded myself to minimize my water intake on the plane because I didn’t want to keep bothering others to let me out to use the restroom.

The First Leg of the Journey: Taiwan to San Francisco

At 11:30 AM, as the plane glided swiftly down the runway, the change in gravity gave me a floating sensation. After takeoff, I watched Taiwan recede from view outside my window, feeling excited and expectant. The US trip had officially begun!

After the view was replaced by a sea of snow-white clouds, the captain made an announcement, asking us to fasten our seatbelts as we were about to encounter strong turbulence that would last for a while.

Shortly after the announcement, the aircraft began to shake violently, sometimes rising, sometimes dropping. Besides the discomfort from the shaking, the feeling of weightlessness during the drops was very unpleasant.

To make matters worse, the turbulence lasted for about thirty minutes. Finally, the shaking stopped, and the plane stabilized. As the seatbelt sign went off, the flight attendants began to move about and serve meals.

I enjoyed my airplane meal while watching the in-flight movies. I’m a huge movie lover, so even though the flight was long, being able to watch so many interesting films made it seem not so bad.

I only got up to use the restroom when the passengers next to me got up to stretch or use it themselves. As I mentioned, I didn’t want to bother others, so I intentionally reduced my water intake. This method was very successful; I only used the restroom twice during the eleven-plus-hour flight.

When I got tired of watching movies, I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t drift off. So, I just treated it as a chance to rest my eyes for a bit before getting up to watch the next movie.

Finally, after a ten-hour flight, the captain announced that we were about to land!

The night view of San Francisco suddenly appeared outside the window. What came into view was a tapestry of the city’s bright lights woven into the dawn, painting the entire sky.

I was incredibly excited and moved. After twelve years, I saw American soil once again. The feeling at that moment is truly hard to describe in words.

Challenges of Immigration and Transfer

After deplaning, I spent a very long time waiting in line for immigration. When it was finally my turn, the officer asked me many questions, and my fingerprinting didn’t go smoothly; it took several attempts to get all ten fingerprints registered.

His attitude was quite unfriendly. He questioned me in a suspicious tone about why I had information like “how much US currency I was carrying” and “my address in the US” typed into my phone.

I answered him politely, and he finally let me through, which was a huge relief 😮‍💨

It’s worth noting that when entering the US, regardless of whether you have a connecting flight, you must go through a baggage inspection. This meant I had to find my luggage at the baggage carousel, go through customs with it, and then re-check it.

After re-checking my luggage, I had to go through carry-on security again. Perhaps because I hadn’t flown in three years, I made a completely unnecessary mistake: I had water in the water bottle in my carry-on bag! I had completely forgotten. When I saw my backpack didn’t pass the scan, my heart sank. I asked a staff member what was wrong. Fortunately, she was very patient and gently told me she would take a look.

She opened my backpack and asked what I wanted to do with the full water bottle. I could either throw it away, or she could escort me out to go through the security line again.

I thought about it; my next flight wasn’t for another two hours, so I asked her to take me out to go through security again.

The Tiring Long Haul

The second time, I passed through security smoothly. I then headed to the gate, confirmed all the flight information was normal, and took a short rest while installing my American SIM card.

I use Verizon because that’s what I used as an exchange student, and I was confident it would have good signal where my host family lives—in a very rural part of South Dakota.

After switching to the US SIM card, the signal was excellent and the data was fast. I immediately let my family know I had arrived and updated my friends and host family on my transit situation. All flights were on schedule that day.

Finally, it was time to board the second flight from San Francisco to Houston, a four-hour journey.

As the plane took off, I looked at the daytime scenery of San Francisco, recalling the beautiful view of city lights against the dawn from a few hours earlier. I thought to myself that I must visit this city someday.

I tried to rest on the plane again but still couldn’t fall asleep. It was supposed to be the middle of the night in Taiwan, but the bright sunlight had completely thrown off my body clock.

At last, the plane arrived at Houston airport!

had an hour for my connection, which seemed like plenty of time. I was wrong.

I was looking everywhere for my gate until I followed the signs to a set of automatic doors and realized: “My gate isn’t in this terminal; I need to take the shuttle train.”

So, I hurried onto the train, got to the correct terminal, found my gate, and decided I had to eat something. I was starving.

I rushed to a shop that looked like the quickest option and ordered a burrito. The prices in the US are no joke—it cost $11, about 330 NTD. Isn’t that crazy! And the staff moved at a snail’s pace, joking with colleagues while making my food. I was thinking, “I’m catching a flight!”

After finally getting my burrito, with not enough time to sit, I joined the boarding line and ate while I waited.

Since it was a smaller plane, the agent announced that people at the back of the line would have to check their carry-ons. He started counting, and luckily, he pointed to me and announced that from the person after me onwards, bags must be checked. I was spared the trouble.

The boarding process was unusual; we walked onto the tarmac to board. The temperature was about 1°C, so I thought, “This doesn’t feel too bad! Not too cold.”

Looking back now, it’s hilarious. Little did my naive self know that Houston is in Texas, one of the southernmost and warmest states in the US.

Finally Arriving at the Destination: Kansas City

The third flight was from Houston to Kansas City, about two hours.

After we landed, I contacted my friend Kaine, who said he was waiting outside. I rushed to the baggage carousel, praying my luggage had arrived safely.

Luckily, I soon spotted my two suitcases. I grabbed them and headed outside. Kaine gave me a big hug and said, “Welcome to the USA!“

Seeing him made me so happy, not just because it had been a long time, but because I had just spent a full 24 hours traveling. I had finally made it. It was insane!

Kaine is a former colleague from an English school where we taught together. We’re great friends, so besides visiting my host family, I planned to stay with him for a few days to catch up and have him show me his city.

His house was only a ten-minute drive from the airport, so we got there quickly.

As soon as I walked in, a huge, heavy dog jumped on me. I stumbled and nearly fell over. The big dog started circling me, giving me a warm welcome.

The living room was right inside the door. With its dim lighting and soft carpet, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness washed over me. I hadn’t slept in 24 hours.

Kaine’s roommate, Dan, came out to greet me. He has a 3-year-old daughter, Delilah, and that giant dog, R2 (named after R2-D2 from Star Wars, as they’re big fans).

Delilah came running out to see me, then shyly scurried back to Kaine. She was such an adorable little girl, answering her dad’s questions with such childlike innocence that my heart melted.

I put my luggage down, took a quick, comfortable hot shower, and came out to find Kaine had already set up a blanket and pillow for me on the sofa.

I chatted with them for a while and discovered they both love to draw. Kaine and I often shared our creations back in Taiwan. Many of the tattoos on his body he did himself. His roommate also draws, coloring designs on his iPad in his own style.

While we were talking, Delilah kept running back to her room to change into a different outfit, then coming out, only to run back and change again, which made the three of us laugh nonstop.

Meanwhile, the big dog R2 was constantly seeking affection. Having just showered, I was soon covered in dog hair and some very smelly drool again 😂

Finally, it was time for bed. I was looking forward to a good night’s rest after being awake for over 24 hours. But unfortunately, whether it was jet lag or the sound of R2 scratching the floor in his crate, I still couldn’t sleep the entire night…

Conclusion: A Teaser for the Next Part, and Why Bullet Journaling is So Important

The next article will share the stories of my time with my friend Kaine in Kansas City, so stay tuned!

The above covers the first day (or more accurately, two days) of my 2022 US trip. As I read my bullet journal from that time while writing this, memories came flooding back, seemingly transporting me back to that moment.

I find this to be a truly special experience; it feels like I’m having a conversation with my past self!

This has made me realize once again how important bullet journaling is. If I hadn’t recorded this memory, it would have inevitably faded and been forgotten, bit by bit, as time went by.

If you also want to document the important experiences in your life, I strongly recommend you start learning to bullet journal!