I’ve been home from my time in China for a while now and I must say, I miss it. I never would have imagined missing a country so different from my own with people so different from myself. By the end of my trip, I definitely was ready to come back to the United States- I was even fine with the fourteen-hour flight to get back to America! But now, I miss the simplicity of life in Xiamen. My internet and cellular connection was spotty (if one could even call it that; I had to lay in a specific position to get a call through and it would randomly cut off) and the only English television channel played really peculiar movies that I’d never heard of. I got used to using my time to explore rather than be trapped in the cyber world and I now value that time more than ever. America, specifically Chicago, is super-fast-paced and hectic, whereas Xiamen still had ancient traditions flowing through the country-side. I still remember watching a farmer maintain his rice field and a young woman weave a bamboo basket and being so blown away by the classic scene depicted in numerous ancient paintings and art.
Surprisingly, I miss the food. Being gluten/wheat free, I always assumed I’d have the hardest time in foreign countries, but China always had food I could eat and actually enjoy! Now that I’ve been back in the States, I have been cooking and baking Chinese and other Asian recipes and cuisines! My dad is so proud of the woman I have become and all of the things I have learned. Seeing his eyes light up when I suggested a totally Asian dinner, having his eyes beam upon me with pride when I speak a little Chinese in Chinatown, and watching him discover a world he’s never been introduced to. I feel a sense of responsibility to my family to show them that the world is more than just Europe and America. I am so blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful journey and I thank The University of Alabama for giving me such an amazing opportunity. See you again, China.
