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.

written by  jlu on August 18, 2008 from Los Angeles, United States
from the travel blog: Study Abroad in China
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i was searching for PHO in Beijing on the internet and ran into your blog.

Im thinking that when I get back to Seattle, that will be the first to do on my list, get a LARGE STEAK TENDON TRIPE PHO AT THANH BROTHERS ON BROADWAY.

wish me luck on finding a bowl of pho in Beijing

-Cara

written by  Cara on November 6, 2008

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