Much of my desire to visit China hinges on seeing a friend and former co-worker who works in Beijing.

Ethan and I planned our trip to include the always shifting city where she was working. Schools closed or she worked an ill-suited position. By the time we submitted our visa application, she was happily settled in Beijing.

We wait in the cold as uniformed high school students file out the gates. A woman with dark hair, sunglasses and a long green jacket runs up. She and I swallow each other in a down-filled hug, almost masking winter's unpleasant chill with warm smiles.