Good day, sunshine.

I had to go to the front desk when I arrived back at my hotel in Shanghai last night to ask which room I was staying in. I could have told you that I was room 1618 in Nanjing or 752 in Beijing, but I couldn't remember where I lived in Shanghai. Once I got a new room key (which I didn't actually need, I just needed to know which door the key I had opened), the bellhop insisted on helping me upstairs with my bags. When he opened my door and saw my books and clothes strewn about, he looked at me with alarm in his eyes and said "You already check in?!" Like I was nuts. Which I am.

This same thing happened to me in January with corporate housing; fresh from several weeks of travel, two bags in tow, lost in my own hallway. A proud moment, for sure.

It's this sort of thing that makes the people who love me worry and chase after me at airports to make sure I zip my purse and tell me 47 times to be careful. But I digress.

First day back in Shanghai was really, really nice. I walked to work, I didn't feel lost. I bought a Coke Light, I knew where the vending machine was. I printed out some emails, the printer was already hooked up. On my way home I recognized the smell of the noodle shop, pondered the prices at the outdoor dress "shop" and pushed through the congested sidewalk to walk at my own pace. It's the little things that tell me I'm finally getting my sea legs here in Shanghai.

Ah, Shanghai.

Big news of the day: A bunch of us from the agency are going to the USA vs. China exhibition game in Guangzhou on Monday night. A really lovely gift and totally unexpected. Good times, good times.

Happy Friday, y'all.