Loading...
Start a new Travel Blog! Blogabond Home Maps People Photos My Stuff

Study Abroad in China

a travel blog by jlu


Exploring Beijing
view all 57 photos for this trip


Show Oldest First
Show Newest First

HOME

Los Angeles, United States


After hours of anxious waiting for time to slowly pass, I finally took a taxi from BNU to the Beijing Capital airport about 5 hours before my 9 pm flight. After lots of nuisances such having to reduce my overweight luggage, making my carry-on heavier than I weigh, being stopped by Chinese immigration cause I apparently didn't look like my passport picture, and waiting forever to retrieve my luggage in the US and getting through customs... I'm finally home.

The first thing I did when I came back was eat PHO (Vietnamese beef noodles). It was the best tasting bowl of pho ever.

Now I'm back home in East Los Angeles in my cozy home. I come back and my brother tells me he heard gunshots a couple blocks down the street yesterday, but that doesn't surprise me. I'm not in Beijing anymore.

Although I feel like I left a part of me back in Beijing, I am extremely happy to be back home. It will take a couple days to get used to all the free toilet paper and soap in the public restrooms, and everyone not speaking Chinese.

I learned a lot studying abroad. I learned about China, friends, family, and myself. Studying abroad made me realize what a bubble I was living in and there are so many different ways of living beyond imaginary borders. I realized that I missed my family a lot, even though back home I would be annoyed or irritated by their constant worrying. In China, I looked forward to talking to my parents and missed them when I didn't get their call. I learned that I can do a lot when I'm by myself, and I can set my own goals and find my way around without any help, even though it does get lonely sometimes.

Now it's time to unpack, repack, move into my new apartment, go back to work, study for the GREs, continue my research project, and turn 21.

This is the end of my Beijing adventures... for now.

permalink written by  jlu on August 18, 2008 from Los Angeles, United States
from the travel blog: Study Abroad in China
Send a Compliment

Viewing 11 - 11 of 11 Entries
first | previous | next | last

View as Map View as Satellite Imagery View as Map with Satellite Imagery Show/Hide Info Labels Zoom Out Zoom In Zoom Out Zoom In
find city:
trip feed
author feed
trip kml
author kml

   

Blogabond v2.40.58.80 © 2024 Expat Software Consulting Services about : press : rss : privacy