I will be home sooner than you would imagine! Just one more day! I can hardly believe it myself, even as I sit here looking at my suitcases all ready to go. My many things may be ready to go, but it's hard to say whether my heart and soul are really ready to leave behind this home I've known for the past year.
Since school officially ended in mid-June, I've been non-stop running around taking advantage of all the things I love about Beijing and spending time with my beloved friends. In other words, I've been enjoying my first real summer vacation without studies or work (besides privately teaching English here and there)! And throughout all this preparation for my return, I've realized there are quite a few things that I will miss, both big and small. Thus, I give you a list of the top ten things that I expect to miss upon returning to the states, in no particular order:
1. The feeling of safety living and traveling in China. Surprisingly, even in such a large city as Beijing, I have always felt incredibly safe wandering around town even alone and at late hours, and in nearly any neighborhood. I project that there are several factors for this sense of safety, including the restriction of private gun ownership and the presence of every kind of person of any age on the streets, whether it's noon or midnight. Of course, caution must always be exercised, but perhaps because one is always expecting to be cheated (as a foreigner), it becomes a nice surprise when people can be trusted.
2. Cheap haircuts that are better than any expensive ones I've ever had. The one hair salon I've been going to since I arrived, called "Punk", has a wonderful student discount- RMB 8 off of the already dirt cheap RMB 38 (about USD 5)- for a shampooing and haircut. The hair stylists are all young, hip guys with the latest trendy cuts, and I've never gotten a cut I don't love!
3. The availability of fresh soymilk. Nothing beats the taste of smooth, freshly made soymilk, so wonderfully thick that it has to be watered down a bit.
4. Business hours. Even banks are still open on Saturdays and Sundays! Though the long lunch breaks, sometimes from 11-2, are a bit inconvenient.
5. Restaurants everywhere, open early to late, and serving nearly every cuisine. Beijing reminds me much of San Francisco in this sense, such that people love to eat, and there are countless choices! Everything from hot pot, BBQ skewers, all spicy, noodles, dumplings, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, German, Brazilian, Greek, Sichuan, Hunan, Henan, Cantonese, Shanghai and every other regional cuisine. One cannot go hungry in Beijing- there is something to satisfy every tongue and every wallet.
6. Nightlife! Besides eating of course, there are countless karaoke venues as well as many clubs, which a growing population of young people and middle/upper class have begun to frequent. Fun for everyone!
7. Clothes shopping. And namely the abundance of cheap, fun clothing that changes with the seasons. Which means a whole new wardrobe every 3 months!
8. Which reminds me...the obvious change of seasons in and of itself. 20 years in California means I've known nothing but the slight rise and drop of temperature, and the increase of rain during winter, so living in Beijing is an adventure with the drastic changes in weather. I think I've nearly gotten used to the muggy summers now, sweating non-stop that is, and certainly used to not seeing blue skies for days and days at a time. Fall is quite gorgeous as the leave turn fiery red, and one can comfortably walk around in jeans and a t-shirt, before winter comes, with its frigid cold (frequently below zero) and snowstorms. Bearing the cold is worth it to see so many clear blue skies in winter! The coming of spring is not quite as romantic as one would imagine, because although the greenery begins to sprout and flowers pop up everywhere, spring in Beijing means many sandstorms. By sandstorms I mean days where the air is filled with dust, and cars end up with a thick layer of it.
9. The usability of public transportation. This year, four new subway lines have opened up, and combined with a public bus system that gets you anywhere you need to go (there must be thousands of buses on the road), getting around is quite easy, not to mention cheap (with a prepaid transportation card, bus rides are only about 5 cents no matter how far you ride)!
10. Friends! From my classmates who have long since returned to their respective countries, to my language partners, best friends, and frisbee teammates,
I cannot begin to express how much I will miss those who have become my dear family. Most of all, I owe a big thanks to everyone who has helped me in the tiniest and biggest ways- my fluency would not be such a success without the dedication of my talented teachers and patient friends, and my satisfaction with this past year would not exist without all the people I've met.
So although I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends again, feeling the fog of San Francisco Bay, watching squirrels scamper around the redwoods, returning to classes other than Chinese language at UCSB, and much more, it is still very hard for me to believe that I must part with my beloved Beijing. But I am determined to come back (when and how are still big question marks), and perhaps knowing that I will return one day is what makes it a bit more bearable.
Because you see, this year has been a rollercoaster, pushing me to the limits in every aspect of life, and I truly wouldn't have survived without knowing that there was a crowd back home in the US rooting for me, reminding me to take advantage of all that China offers.
Time to take care of a few last things, and then I"m off to the airport!
Can't wait to see you all!
Much love,
Kenzie
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