Less than 24 Hours to Take-off

So it's been a long time coming, but I fly to China tomorrow. It honestly feels like a century ago when I got the email of congratulations from Teach For China back in March. Happy, happy tears fell into my salad at the Rat. But even after these past few months of mental prep and packing, it all feels about the same-- two parts excitement, one part nerves. And I still can't wrap my head around two years. That's an eternity of forever. Calm down, it's only half of college. Wait, that's half of college.

And I am so terrified of being a teacher. Will my classroom be a sea of chaos? Will they laugh at my feeble attempts at discipline while they lick their hands clean of my blood? Truthfully, what really scares me is that during college I often comforted myself with the fact that my own ass was on the line. I'd say, you only want to ace this paper because of your own vanity. Yet teaching will be <1% about me, and so much to do with these kids who I want to grow, and learn, and see the world differently, and understand me when I speak Chinese.

But those two parts excitement are really pushing me forward right now. It'll definitely be an adventure; I love when I'm out of my comfort zone and everything gets real weird. China's pretty reliable on the weird front.

My itinerary goes something like this:
July 16 -- Fly to ATL, fly to Detroit, fly to Beijing
July 17 -- Land in Beijing, spend the night couchsurfing (first time!)
July 18 -- Fly to Kunming, fly to Baoshan, cab to Changning
July 18-August -- "Summer Institute" where hopefully I'll learn to teach or something. It's six weeks long and then they'll tell me where I'm staying permanently.

Obviously I have to end with a million gazillion bajillion thanks to my wonderful family, especially my parents. To think they put me on that first plane to China when I was the ripe young age of fifteen. When you hear a high school kid say, 'hey! can I like go trekking on the other side of the world?' whose parents would ever say yes? Mine did, and I'm eternally grateful.

If you're still reading this, I probably love you. I love you. See you on the other side of the world.