(I meant to post this yesterday, but didn't have internet in the morning, and forgot by the evening! Whoops!)
Good morning!
It is officially 7:50 am in Qinhuangdao, China on
Saturday. That means it is 7:50pm on
Friday in the East Coast USA. Cool
huh? Yesterday and the day before were
spent entirely in travel. We (the team)
woke up at 5am on Thursday morning, were on the road to the airport by 6, the
plane departed by 10am (due to delays), and we touched down in China at 2:50pm
on Friday afternoon. From there, it was
another four hour bus ride to our city, which wasn’t as bad as I worried it
would be. (Seoul buses are AWFUL!) After getting one or two things from the
local store with my other team mates, I settled into my new place, and slowly
started making it my home. It’s not done
yet, and the list of things I need seems to be growing ever longer slowly (all
little things too, ugh!), but it is definitely coming along quite nicely. Today we will explore the campus a little,
get what supplies we need, and possibly go downtown a bit as well.
I bet you are wondering, what about the fact that I am in
CHINA! Well, in case you were wondering,
no I hadn’t forgotten in my jet lagged haze (I don’t feel that jet lagged
honestly, despite waking up at 6am).
Lol! I haven’t gotten to see a
lot since arriving yet honestly, as driving through Beijing does not give you a
good feel for what the city is like. We
also arrived in Qinhuangdao at about 8pm, and as everyone knows, darkness is
rarely conducive to knowing what a place really looks and feels like. I can say this though: The country is a lot
more relaxed than Korea, with folks not feeling the pressure to dress and look
perfect it seems. Along the way, I
noticed a fair amount of sheep herds as well, giving me the feeling of a mix of
old and new put together. There were
many neon lights last night when we arrived in Qinhuangdao, which did not
surprise me that much, and the late night street where I bought my fruit echoed
similarities in my mind of memories from other countries I have visited. I am really excited to see more of China,
though nervous too, as I keep wanting to compare everything to Korea. It will be undoubtedly hard for me to switch
my mental gears.
September 1st is a big day for me here, as well
as my friend Robert in Sweden, and Mike in Korea,. We all start school! Robert and Mike start grad
classes, and I start teaching my undergrad kids! Crazy coincidence right? Haha!
Honestly, I can’t even explain how much I long to step back into the
classroom. After three years of teaching
almost 365 days a year, I find it interesting how much I miss teaching. It’s not that I thought I wouldn’t, but I’m
surprised at how, in the midst of being in a new country, with a new language,
surrounded by new people, the physical place I am eager to get to the most is
my classroom. Guess that does make me a
teacher at heart.
“In the end, we only
regret the chances we didn’t take, relationships we were afraid to have, and
the decisions we waited too long to make.”
My Dad wrote that on one of the daily messages he prepares
for me for when I live abroad every year (Yeah, I’m a spoiled daughter!). I read that while standing in my new kitchen
here in China and found myself proudly knowing I have not let this happen to
me, and will never let it do so in the future.
I don’t want to spend my life waiting, thinking, afraid- I want to jump
into the deep end, be a little crazy, and try my hand at living life to the
fullest. There is no greater regret in
my mind, then to never try.
Just remember, dear friends, “One of the best feelings in
the world is knowing that your presence and absence both mean something to
someone.” I am beyond lucky to have both
the family and friends that I do. Thank
you for loving me, missing me, and letting me go to explore this world. Here’s to another year of adventures!
Love,
Rita
Rita
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