Happy Anniversary to Me!

If you are reading this within a few hours of it being published, then I am, right now, in the air heading back to America. Yep, thats right, I’ll be stateside for the next 2 and a half weeks.
I’m a little worried about a few things. I’m pretty accustomed to China living now and to get back into the habit of things like tipping, recycling, and politically-correct language might be hard. A short-term case of reverse culture shock I think.
But of course I’m excited to see my friends and family, eat the food I’ve been missing (onion bagel with cream cheese and lox, hello!) and drive a car again. Even if it will cost me and arm and a leg.
Today is also an anniversary of sorts. Exactly 3 years ago today I started by blog with a very lame post on color schemes. But it was a start.
In the past 3 years I have written 382 posts which works out to be more than 2 a week. Not bad! I never had a real goal with this blog, except to describe my china experience, and I’m a little surprised that I have kept it up for so long, and have no desire to stop.
Actually I guess I’m more surprised that 3 years later I’m still here, still teaching and still loving it.
I recently read some of my old posts again and I had to laugh. Who was that girl?! So much has happened to me in the past couple of years, it’s hard to imagine I’m still the same person. Well, actually, the truth is I’m not, right? That girl who was ecstatic when I could speak just a few words of Chinese, was learning how to be a tutor, and grew her own tea.
Now I have non-english speaking friends, the boy I tutor is a like a brother to me and, well, I am still a tea freak. I just to buy it in Hong Kong now. And oh yeah, I used to have a husband and now don’t.
When I first came to China, I loved it immediately (aside from the fireworks). And in the past three years I’ve only grown to love it more. On the eve of my trip back to America I went to dinner with some friends to get my favorite dishes I won’t be able to eat for awhile.
“This is the last tudou bing (potato pancakes) in China,” I lamented.
“Becky, you’ll be back in 2 and a half weeks,” they reminded me.
Oh yeah.
But of course I’m sentimental. My life here, well, it just rules. For example yesterday I had no plans. Just rest and get ready to go back to America. But over the course of the day I ended up texting with a new friend I met on friday (all in Chinese thankyouverymuch), a couple of friends stopped by to chat, I skyped with my Indonesian friend (who is currently in Shanghai), 3 students came over to give me a gift box of zongzi and say goodbye, I ate dinner with a few of the foreigners, and I ended the night video chatting with 3 of my students who were sitting in their dorm room just down the road from me. (Er, not exactly sitting, more like being totally crazy, but that’s why I love them)
I know it’s annoying to hear me bragging, and I want to slap me too. But I’ll finish up in a minute. It’s not to say that I love everything about China. There is a ton of stuff I cannot stand (sanitation, food quality, rude people just o name a few). But as long as there are more good days then bad, I’m not leaving.
So c’mon China, bring on the next three years. I’m ready!