Last Words From This Foreign Land

Goodbye China! Goodbye my students! Goodbye my new friends! Goodbye moldy apartment! Goodbye sweet vendor ladies! Goodbye fresh mangoes, lychees, longans, etc! Goodbye to all that has been my reality for the last 10 months.

Hello Home! Hello family and friends! Hello bills, loans and car payments! Hello culture that I understand! Hello comfort foods! Hello Mexian food, fresh baked bread, BBQed chicken, and pizza! Hello old/ new reality.

Today's the day I fly home. Only a couple more hours and I will begin the long journey. I have packed my bags (mamamia!) and cleaned my place. I will be traveling for something like 32 hours! I have four different flights and and super long over night layover in LA.

Keep my in your prayers if you would for protection. The Lord's been faithful to me throughout this entire trip. I know his faithfulness endures. He's so good to me. I am so undeserving.

Brenda and I spent the day together yesterday just shopping, eating, hanging out. Ate at some of our favorite places one last time. Then we watched a movie while she finished up packing. She left early this morning.

I didn't get much sleep the past two nights, yet I feel pretty good and energetic. Maybe it's adrenaline from all the moving. The night before I was restless so I watched a movie til super late. Then lasst night I had a million mosquitos buzzing around me. So about 3 in the morning I was wide away chasing them down and killing as many as I could. It might be a good thing that I haven't slept much, that way I might be able to sleep better on the plane and maybe I will adjust to the time change quicker. We shall see.

I can't wait to see all my family and friends. I'm courious to find out what my life will be like from here on. I guess it's time to pack up the computer. Thanks for reading all this time. I hope I was able to share my experiences with you in a meaningful way. The next time I write here, I may be in the US! I don't think it's hit me yet. It hasn't sunk in that I am leaving and might never come back here, and might never see my Chinese friends and students again. Like I always like to say... Life is strange stuff.