Calling China

So, my phone is freaking out. I was trying to talk to my mom and suddenly I could hear her but she couldn't hear me. Ugh. Something must be wrong with the satellites, probably more space garbage bashing things around in the solar system (wrecking nature in earth hasn't been quite enough, so now we're on to space garbage).
I thought I'd take a moment to tell you what it's like to live on opposite ends of the world from family. There's a fourteen hour time difference from here to China, so my family and I spend more time in different days than we do in the same day. As I am getting up in the morning, they all are headed to bed. On any given afternoon/evening I can call my family to see what tomorrow is like and if I really want to bother with getting up the next morning. It's like weather forecasting, but way cooler.
The weirdest was first figuring out when to call. I never knew exactly what time it was and I was always afraid of waking them up. Then when I finally did call I got weird looks from those around me as I asked "When is it?" or "What time are you?" Luckily we've moved past this stage.
Now partway through a Saturday afternoon I call them to say "good morning," eliciting about the same weird looks, but I feel less crazy, so it's okay. Actually, it's really cool having them over there. I talk to my mom more now than I did when they were in the states because as I am leaving campus at night, she's eating lunch. I've also been able to see really cool stuff I'd never get to see otherwise, and I've gained a new appreciation for a culture I never really had known much about. So, while sometime it's weird, and satellites fail and phones give out, actually, I really like having them over there and wouldn't change a thing.