Halfway Point!

Today marks the halfway point between my arrival in China and my departure, which is simultaneously exciting and sad. It's hard to believe how far I've come since the first few days when I was so homesick I made this countdown, how many experiences I've had and unexpected encounters, and how fast it's gone!

One one hand, I'm really, really excited to go home. I'm loving China, but I miss the quiet of Montana and Chicago, the lack of people, and especially the food. I'm looking forward to being back in a place where I don't have to carefully consider my interactions with people; living in a foreign country can be tiring, because you have to think and be aware so much more than at home. On the other hand, I'm really going to be sad to leave China. I've loved getting to see a culture so completely different than my own, and I've had a ton of experiences I never could have had in the States. I've gotten to meet so many people, even some other UChicago students that I might not have met otherwise. I've loved getting to try authentic Chinese food, and I love that Chinese is beginning to roll off my tongue a little bit easier.

I think it's safe to say my departure will be bittersweet- I'm so looking forward to being home, both Montana and Chicago. But leaving will mean saying goodbye to Beijing Roast Duck and Hot Pot, too, and will mean my study abroad experience is over. Though at this point, I'm still only halfway, and talking about saying goodbye might be putting the cart in front of the horse. I've had a lot of great experiences, but a lot more still to come. What's that poem about miles to go before I sleep? :)

3 Days Until China!

Well, technically four. But I leave for China in three days, even though I don't get there for 4 more days. I figured before I leave, it would be wise to do a background post on this blog, so anybody who discovers it years from now in a google search has a hazy idea of who I am and what I'm doing.

This blog is intended to catalog my adventures (hopefully not misadventures!) abroad in Beijing, while I'm there studying abroad. I started the blog for several reasons:
1. It's an easy way to keep a journal of my experiences abroad, and keep my friends and family updated while I'm gone.
2. I've scoured the internet looking for blogs about living in China so I'd have a better idea about what it will be like, so hopefully this will be useful for other students thinking about going to China, or just studying abroad in general.
3. I'm a Gilman Scholarship Recipient, which is helping to fund my study abroad. As part of our requirements, we have to complete a follow-on project, which involved sharing our experience abroad w/ others after we get back. This blog is part of it - I'll also give a presentation at school during Winter quarter.

Finally, as to the name of this blog: The night before my Chinese 102 spoken final during Winter quarter last year, I dreamed in Chinese. Seriously. It's never happened since, although it would be pretty cool if it was a common occurrence, but it only happened once. It served as the inspiration for my Gilman essay, so it seemed logical (and pretty cool) to name my blog Dreaming in Chinese, too. I was going to post that Gilman essay, but unfortunately, it seems to have disappeared from my computer, so this slightly less dramatic and eloquent (at least, I like to think) explanation will have to do. (Funnily enough, my brilliant idea was not original. There's already another Dreaming in Chinese blog on blogspot [dreaminginchinese.blogspot.com], so I had to insert dashes in my title. Nothing new under the sun, I suppose)

Also, please leave comments/questions for me. I'd love to know that people are actually reading this. :)

~Karissa