Something strange happened tonight...
While at work here in the States, I heard
someone call my name. And the voice was
oh, so familiar. It was the voice of a
friend. And there was a bit of excitement
in the way they called to me. It was the
voice of someone I knew in China – a neighbor of mine.
I turned to see who was there, knowing
deep down that my friend wouldn't be (but wishing so badly they were). But there was no one. In fact, no one had called out to me at all. And I just stood there for a moment, wondering what had just
happened. I felt disappointed and a little sad.
I tried my best to suppress my feelings and continue on with work. But I couldn’t (not completely). Longing had already settled in and I was left
wondering if I had made the right decision to leave China in the first place.
What followed was a flood of memories and
questions and doubts. Some of my best
years were spent in that place and with some of my truest friends. It’s difficult to imagine my life without
them. China was so much more than just a fun
time and it felt as if I was being drawn back in to it all again. And it felt good. It felt right.
It was as if I was connected again. As if, somehow, I was back in China and all that I knew had not yet come to an end. But it had and I was no longer there. And neither was my friend.
It was as if I was connected again. As if, somehow, I was back in China and all that I knew had not yet come to an end. But it had and I was no longer there. And neither was my friend.
If you haven’t yet had the chance, please read the story of my moving to China. It's one of the most intriguing stories from my life! Click here to do so.
My time in China was full of laughter,
exploration, friendship, and purpose. It was full of new foods and writing and my favorite sports. There existed both the familiar and the
unfamiliar. There were sad goodbyes and
happy hellos. There were long
hours of teaching and treasured moments spent with students outside of class.
On a weekly basis, I found myself enjoying
everything from volleyball and motorcycle excursions to culture shock and
hilarious misunderstandings…. from
missing home and broken Internet connections to exploring abandoned buildings and rooftop
conversations high above the university campus…. from
food street and Hot Pot to performing before large audiences and messing it up
because you can’t dance…
... from “Coffee
Mornings” with Van and “The Finer Things Club” with next door neighbors to making
music and writing stories… from
orphanage work and travel to strolls down the old railroad and lighting off
fireworks for the whole university to see… from
late night walks through the park to running from park security with my
closest Chinese friends because we weren't sure what the penalty was for joyriding around on some random bicycle-wagon thing we'd found.
These are those friends
It was all there. And it didn’t take long to realize that we had begun to build something beautiful together, little by little and bit by bit. There was purpose because there was
connection. There was meaning because
there was intention.
We had so much freedom in our schedule to
spend time doing the things we actually wanted to do. We’d teach for a bit and then it was off to whatever
you so desired (and as you may have noticed, I
desired a lot). But none of it would’ve been
worth it without the people I shared it all with. And really, that's why it was so special. My experience of China was spent
within a community of wonderful people, journeying together. And that’s why there was meaning and
purpose.
As each year passed, I found myself thinking,
“How will I ever leave this place? That
will truly be a sad day.” The thought had sadden me even though I hadn't left yet. But then I’d jump right back
into all the craziness and things were okay. That
day did finally come, though. And you know what? For whatever reason, I was ready to go. It wasn't that it was any less sad, but my time there felt complete.
But when the voice of my friend had called out to me, and
when it said my name, I questioned my departing from such a
place.
And I just hope with all hope that I made the
right decision.
But Life Didn't End There...
Click Here To See What Else I've Been Up To!
But Life Didn't End There...
Click Here To See What Else I've Been Up To!