After scrambling to put this post together (August really snuck up on us, huh?), I realize that these pictures appear to be a random selection. I must adamantly state that they are not. They perfectly sum up the second half of my July.
It was midnight. Our boarding time was set at 1:10 AM. I had always thought it was exciting to be at the airport at such an hour, ready to board a flight to some distant, exotic land. Only the place we were going was less than exotic. Nevertheless, I cheerfully bid my parents farewell and trailed the rest of the team. And quite the team we made. Backpacks in tow, one black and two blues, two fearless mothers and one very inexperienced child (me).
Travel time marked a little over fifteen hours. That was fifteen plus hours of restlessness, inflight movies, squirming uncomfortably to find a position to sleep in, cakey airplane food, dry eyes, dry lips, dry toes, dry I-didn't-even-know-that-part-of-my-body-was-capable-of-being-so-dry and countless bathroom trips. (Side note: The Grand Budapest Hotel now ranks as my all time favorite comedy. 4.5 stars, Wes). The dim sum at the airport made up for every airline grievance and did away with the feverish weariness, however.
Going overseas and immersing myself in a culture I seldom have a chance to fully embrace was quite an experience. Combine that with me--a tongue-tied, slightly feverish, practically American born Chinese trying to teach conversational English phrases to kids who pronounce six as "seh KUH sih"-- you can imagine that this new experience never failed to take an unexpected twist or two. Got laughed at a few times but alas, one must learn quickly to take everything with a good sense of humor. Whew, packed on some thick skin. I recapped about my thoughts on the trip HERE if you would like to read it.
Anyway. Summer's winding down. (Ugh, I'm sorry okay? I had to say it). It has been an excruciatingly slow week as I adjust back to living on the Western side of the globe. Gosh, jet lag has not been easy on me this time. But I digress. School is coming back. I'm excited. That's right. I am excited, thrilled, whatever you want to call it. Not so much about school, but more about this new phase of life and all the emotions that come with change. I'm possibly giddier than I was when I began college. And no, I will not allow anyone to burst my bubble. Let me happily embrace every new chapter of my life. I am very aware that it will all but fade in its own time but until then, I'm going to go and soak in as much as possible. Ciao.
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