I’ve titled this entry, it seems aptly, after the play written by Eugene O’Neill in the 1940s. I recall reading it in high school, and what turned out to be a 23-hour journey for me to travel to Changsha, China, immediately made me think of the irony of my travels.
I was scheduled to leave Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday morning at 11:45 am, and because of some “paper work delays,” we left about an hour late. That hour, it turned out, led to an arrival in Beijing of just over an hour late, which when added to my time going through customs and attempting to connect with my flight to Changsha, resulted in a missed connection. When I came through customs and discovered I had to take a 15-minute bus ride to a separate terminal for my connecting flight, I realized I was going to miss my scheduled flight. Upon arriving at Beijing International Airport’s Terminal 2, from Terminal 3, I found my way to an extremely helpful and patient Traveler Information agent, and she spent about a half hour with me helping me get re-booked to
a later flight, checked in, luggage rechecked. It goes without saying I am grateful to her.
Thus, I arrived in Changsha at 8:45 pm, and after being greeted by a courteous and very patient Rachel (seems to be an emerging pattern), she spent 40 minutes driving me to the Changsha hotel. A smooth check-in process and 23 hours after leaving Newark, I am ready to sleep in preparation for what tomorrow’s first day in Changsha will bring. The 
flight from Newark to Beijing traveled north and west across time zones, never leaving the sun, resulting in a gain of 12 hours. The delayed flight to Changsha brought me into dark night skies. Indeed, a long daytime journey into the night.
Tomorrow’s agenda includes a visit to the Yali School, one of the country’s top high schools and founded by Yale students more than a century ago. I took a few photos as I was landing in Changsha and then during the drive to the hotel. The small neon red decorations on the light poles, I learned from Rachel, are leftover from the recent Chinese New Year Celebration. The final photo, in the lower right, I just took from my hotel room, looking out into the Changsha night time, wondering what adventures and knowledge tomorrow will bring. I can’t help but notice the tall building lit up in an Albertus-blue hue. Changsha awaits, my Albertus family and friends. Alas, some rest is required before the dawn breaks.
President Marc M. Camille, Ed.D., will write regular reflections during his week-long trip to Changsha, China, with New Haven Mayor Toni Harp and the New Haven delegation. The New Haven-Changsha Sister City relationship promotes mutual awareness of cultures, customs, and heritage. Invited by Mayor Toni Harp, President Camille is the only college president from New Haven making the trip.