CHINA: The End

Thursday May 31, 2012

Well, it’s over.  You never realize how much you love a place until you have to leave it.  I have gotten so comfortable in China that it really feels weird to leave.  I will spare you the details of all of today’s traveling and just say it was a very long day (or two days?) and I couldn’t have been happier to finally see my mom.  I definitely had mixed emotions about leaving, but here are the things that I was excited to get back to the states for:

1.       Not having to worry about whether the place that we are going will have Western toilets

2.       Being able to breathe in the clean air and see the sky rather than the smog

3.       Good air conditioning

4.       Being able to blow dry, straighten, and curl my hair without being afraid of getting blown up

5.       Being able to walk out of my house and get in a car rather than walking, taking the subway, taking a bus, or taking a taxi

6.       Driving in a place where people obey traffic laws and watch out for other cars

7.       Cheeseburgers, spaghetti, PB&J, bread, cheese, French fries, and pretty much any food besides rice and chicken

8.       Being able to drink water wherever I find it, and not just from bottles

9.       The existence of trash cans, clocks, and drinking fountains in public places

10.   Not feeling like I have to use hand sanitizer every 5 minutes on not only my hands, but everything around me

11.   Being able to understand what everyone is saying and have them understand me

12.   Having access to my full wardrobe (and collection of shoes) again

13.   Getting to sleep in and take naps

14.   Being able to use my cell phone

15. Finally getting to see my family again

So, as true as this list may be, it makes it look like my trip to China was miserable.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I honestly loved every second of it.  I have realized that the American culture is definitely the one that I am most comfortable with, but I loved being able to participate in the Chinese culture for a little while.  More than the culture, I love the people themselves.  When we were at the airport this morning, we were all feeling pretty sad about leaving and Sharlet said, “I just need a Chinese person to come be really rude to me.”  If the people weren’t so sweet, it would have been so much easier to leave them.  Most of the Chinese people live very simple lives, but they are so kind and so enthusiastic and so full of joy.  They are such good people and I am so glad that I took this trip and gained this love for the Chinese people that I honestly have never had before.  I feel terrible about the way many Americans view groups of Chinese tourists because when the tables are turned, we are treated like royalty.  The lesson of not judging people before I know them has been pounded into my head so many times over the last year, and I think these last two weeks were the grand finale of that lesson that I so desperately need to learn.  People are amazing. 

I cannot even tell you how much I have learned over the last two weeks.  The trip was for an International Business class and, while I did learn a lot about that, I learned soooo much more than things related to business.  I learned about a completely different culture than anything I have ever known.  I learned to try new things.  I learned to appreciate the idea, and reality, of the “American Dream.”  I learned to give people the benefit of the doubt and to hear their story before making judgments.  I learned that I am in love with Asian babies and I want one so so bad.  I learned how strong the gospel is and what a huge impact it can have on a life – especially my own.  I learned to be grateful for rather than complain about the government system in America.  I learned to be grateful that I am not an only child and that my kids won’t have to be either.  I learned how to haggle.  I learned how to communicate without using words.  I learned how to be less concerned about having personal space.  I learned to appreciate the little things.  And, most of all, I learned to be grateful for the incredible life that I have and the incredible people that I have in it.

The last two weeks have been amazing and life-changing.  This was definitely a trip that I will never forget.  I absolutely love my China family and how much fun they made this trip. We honestly had the best time together.   I love the country and the people of China, and I would go back in a heartbeat…..and I plan on doing just that!