Happy 65th Birthday, China!

I apologize for not posting more, but I’m finally getting into the flow of having a full-time job. I’ve been here now in China for 2 months now and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

In a week though, I will be back in the USA for a quick trip to see my best friend get married. I cannot wait to be there for her and see my friends and family. Thankfully, everything is working out for this trip. As I mentally prepare to go back, I’m thinking about things that I am excited about or things that I miss, and honestly, I really only miss the people. I’ve become less materialistic because of the fact that I only took one large suitcase here and realized that is really all I need to be happy, even in China.

Many people always view China to be so different, but in reality, it isn’t. There are some major things that stick out like using a VPN to access certain websites like Facebook, Google and now Instagram or simply the comfort of your own culture in regards to food, traditions or language. Overall though, there are people, buildings, streets, cars, buses, malls, etc. just like everywhere else. Thanks to technology it makes the distance seem much smaller than it actually is.

I’ve gotten used to my life here and love most aspects of it. You can find the food that you are used to and people who are from your country. You can take part in activities you enjoy and explore so many places. That’s what is so great about living in a city of this size. Anything is possible.

I have found a decent burger joint, Mexican restaurant and pizza place all just 15 minutes away from my apartment. Of course, I do love eating Chinese food, but I will never give up my love for variety or even my love for exploring new places.

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing on my off days. Whether I have a game plan or not, I will always take my new bike and go find some place that I have never been to before. Since I’ve seen most of the touristy areas from previous travel, I’m checking out more of my neighborhood or surrounding areas nearby. It’s really nice feeding my love of exploring each and every week.

Happy Birthday, China! Thanks for these 3 consecutive days off, plus the two other random days. Holidays in China, that's a whole other topic to discuss. In the meantime, check out Facebook as I have just updated all of my photos so they are up to date and have captions!