David's Diary: What an Experience

BOSTON - Well, we're home.
When I look back on the last 10 days - which I think we're all still digesting - I wouldn't have wanted to miss it. Truthfully.
Our trip to China was an eye-opening experience and an opportunity to see a different culture in the most unique way.

Visiting a foreign country with a very dense population that's all trying to get around at once pretty much made traffic and logistical issues a given. So you had a choice to either get down and sulk - and that wasn't going to change our circumstances - or make the most of it, enjoy it, and kind of make light of it.
I think we did the latter much more than the former, which made it a positive experience for a lot of guys.
Our drive home from The Great Wall is the memory that sticks out the most. The traffic in Beijing made our ride back to the hotel a bit longer than expected, but at the same time it allowed us to enjoy each other's company, have conversations, and embrace the experience.
From a growth perspective and a team-building perspective, I think the journey was everything it was advertised to be. We experienced it all together.

Personally, the highlights begin with that visit to The Great Wall.
As I said in my last entry
, it was just awesome to see in person and to try to wrap your head around all the work that went into building it and the marvel that it truly is.
Being a flying nerd,
I certainly won't forget that plane
. It's something you hear about or see pictures of, but we got to enjoy the comforts of it firsthand and actually have a comfortable sleep on a plane, which isn't said very often.
And of course there was the hockey. The games in Shenzhen and Beijing proved that the enthusiasm for hockey seems to be there. They seemed to know when to cheer, when not to cheer, when it was getting exciting - the crowd builds with the oohs and ahs.
There really appeared to be an appetite for a little bit of the rough stuff, too - maybe preseason hockey doesn't lend itself too much to that. But I thought the fans were great and definitely eager to meet a lot of the guys and get to know them and get some autographs and be around us. We'll see what the growth is like going forward.

Now that we're back stateside, it's time to get re-adjusted. We had Thursday and Friday completely off to get some rest, and for me with a couple of little kids, it was great to see them again and see how excited they were when I got home.
I kind of battled through the jet lag the first day. I was supposed to be putting my daughter, Stella, to sleep and she actually put me to sleep while we were reading a book. I woke up to her climbing out of the bed because she wasn't quite as tired as I was.
It's probably been easier for me to adjust coming back here than it was going over there, but the sleep schedule is one thing. It's the energy level and the ability to perform that you've got to make sure are in order for the regular season.
And we'll make sure we get there over the next few days, maybe spend a few more hours here at the facility to be ready.
Because now, with the trip in the rearview, all eyes are on October 3.