Life overseas

Not gonna lie. If I had a chance at a do-over for the last two years, I would do many things differently.  But one thing I wouldn't change is where I'd do them: right here, in China.

I've had some fabulous adventures.  I've made some great friends.  I've learned tons about myself. I've changed.

And I like it.

Most of the time ...

See, one of the things that many don't realize is how hard it can be sometimes to be away from home. Actually, let's call that "the comfortable place."

The comfortable place is where I can read.  It's where I don't have to guess which bottle is the shampoo and which one is the conditioner and pray that I'm right. It's where I can walk into a restaurant and know that what I'm getting is what I'm expecting.

The comfortable place is where I can understand and be understood.  I can walk out of a friend's house tired but not brain dead because I haven't spent the last few hours trying to simplify and slow down my language, all the while trying to interpret what she's saying.  And where I can honestly say, "No, your food is delicious, but I don't have a big appetite." and be believed. As it was, I shoved a few more dumplings down my throat to make my point.

The comfortable place is where I fit in; I don't stand out.  The comfortable place is where I can walk into a store - not a market - without someone's eyes widening at the (invisible) nametag on my shirt that reads, "Hi, I'm a gullible foreigner. Milk me for all I've got!"

The comfortable place is where I'm actually in the Christmas family photo and not simply looking at it.

The comfortable place is where I can pick up the phone or jump on a bus to talk with a friend face to face rather than having to take a 13-hour time difference into consideration and hope that the internet doesn't crap out on you.

The list could go on for a while, but you get the idea.

So yes, it's good to be back in the comfortable place.

But I do miss China, too.