Pre-Departure Pros & Cons

Today is July 25th. Which means that I will be leaving for Hangzhou, China in roughly one month and three days - it's unbelievable. For the time being, I'm keeping busy by packing up my belongings and cleaning my house 'til it sparkles. As I go through all my things (and trust me, I have A LOT of things), I realize how much I'm going to miss while I'm gone, but also how much I am looking forward to. To keep it simple, I'd like to make a list for you.

Things I am looking forward to:
- Real Chinese Food
- Learning Chinese
- Making new friends
- Seeing amazing new places
- Really beginning my life after college (finally!)
- Teaching English (my dream!)

Things I am NOT looking forward to:
- Real Chinese Food
- No Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs... the list goes on (Don't understand? Check out the Great Firewall of China)
- Eastern-Style Toilets (Picture me, poppin' a squat over a hole in the ground - don't laugh)
- Being away from my family and friends (and Roxy) for so long (Come visit me!!)
- Adjusting to the 12-hour time difference

Both of these lists are rough drafts - each only a preview of the things I'll come to experience. But I figured it would give you a little insight as to what I've gotten myself into. Now, I'm going to continue getting all of my many, many things together before I get myself all worked up about this trip (if the butterflies are strong now, I can't imagine what they'll feel like come August 28th). Wish me luck (you should see the state of this house...)

Zai Jian
(That's "Goodbye" in Mandarin Chinese)

Olivia

Oh, and for those of you who noticed, I mentioned that blogs (American blog sites in particular) will be banned in China. Fortunately, I have a wonderful and caring mother who has accepted blog duties while I'm away. I'll e-mail my entries to her, and she'll post them on this site. So no worries - my stories will get to you, regardless of the "Golden Shield Project."