The End

Well, this is it. This is The End. Tomorrow night I will be leaving China, ne’er to return (truth be told, I highly doubt that will be the case, but at the very least I won’t be coming back for quite some time). Quite soon I will find myself in Thailand. After Thailand, I’m going to Cambodia. My last stop before returning to America is Japan. Stay tuned, though – I’m not through with this blog yet. I’d like to write up posts about all the countries I will soon be visiting, and I have some more posts about China that I’d still like to put up. As the time of my departure draws ever nearer, I find myself more and more melancholic. Don’t get me wrong – I can’t wait to go home. I miss so many of the American commodities that can’t be found in China. I miss being able to breathe clean air and see the sun shine in a sky that is truly blue. I miss walking barefoot in the grass and not being yelled at when I sit in it. I miss ovens and running outside. I miss being able to drink fresh 1% milk and eat fresh fruit like strawberries, grapes, blueberries, and apples with the skins intact. I miss my delicious British tea that I used to drink every morning. I miss seeing the stars at night. I miss swing dancing. I imagine I’ll even be happy to drink water out of the tap. Most of all, I miss the people that make America worthwhile to me – my family, my friends, my cat. But despite how much I’m looking forward to all of these wonderful things, I know I’m going to miss China terribly. Truth be told, I’m tearing up even as I write these words. This country has been my home for the past four months. It’s seen my ups and downs. I’ve made friends and deepened my understanding of Chinese language and culture. I’ve fallen in love with the food. One by one, the people that make up our little community of expatriates are leaving. Mario left last week; Sol leaves tonight; I leave tomorrow. These people have been my lifeline, my friends, my companions for the past few months. It makes me sad knowing that we are all going back to our old lives and we may not see each other again for a very long time. I lived with them, cooked with them, shared meals with them, studied with them, hung out with them on the weekends. We shared birthdays and the novelty of being in a foreign country together. I can’t believe this time has come already – it seems just yesterday I arrived in China, totally unaccustomed to life here and reveling in the umpteen new experiences that came with each day. Every day that passes brings me closer to home, and I become more and more elated. At the same time, though, I feel terribly heartbroken. I am leaving China. I am leaving the home and life that I have created for myself. In a sense, I am leaving my home. 中国，我爱你。我已经想你了。