Hello from Sunny Nanjing China! I hope you know that I miss you America. If you ever want to appreciate the USA, just move away for awhile :)
Sometimes I wonder what the hell am I doing in China. Actually I wonder that every single day lately.
A long time ago I went on a study abroad to London. It was one of the best times of my life. I never thought about anything else, much less home. I soaked it all in, and I had THE time of my life seeing all the art museums, the musicals, and of course Mozarts grave and shakespeares Globe.
This study abroad is a little bit different. I served my mission in Hong Kong, and I remember getting home sick. But I loved my life. And I loved the people. I mostly just remember sinking into it the best that I could, and grabbing on to every chance I could get to speak the language and talk about the church. The purpose of it pushed me forward. but now....I feel a little lost.
I am a student of Mandarin in China. And China is just so much different than I ever thought. Its dirty. Its crowded. lots of people try to steal from you on a daily basis. In fact my teacher just came back from running, and her phone was stolen from underneath a tree where she hid it. Everyone stares SHAMELESSLY. When people look at us, I can literally SEE the dollar signs in their eyes. it makes me sad sometimes, and I probably get asked at least 5 times a day to take pictures with people. Now i know how celebrities feel lol...ok thats a little exaggerated but you get the point. I don't know many of the other kids that are here with me well, and to be honest some of them drive me a little nuts.
I'll admit I miss my family, and my friends. And I miss provo and life that i'm used to. I'll admit that I REALLY REALLY miss a good American In and Out burger. I could REALLY use some good Mexican food and maybe a hug from my mom right now. And losing my debit card was the icing on this 'missing America' day. But you know what, there has to be something beautiful about this place, and i'm GOING to find it.
I'm trying to remember the reason that i came here in the first place: to learn Mandarin. It's never been something that I felt extremely ambitious to do, but when I was on my mission, I strongly felt that someday (maybe in my life time) the missionaries WILL enter China. And I want me and my family to have a part in that. And somehow, this language is going to come in handy sometime in my life. I just know it.
These are some photos from the most beautiful places in China! While China def has its ups and downs, the people here are some of the sweetest you will ever get to meet! This woman in the picture above: she comes from a village of long haired women that wash their hair with rice, no joke. Its so long she wraps it around her head like a turban. The mountains of Guilin were also especially gorgeous. I'm so lucky to live in such a beautiful place!
