Two days before moving back to the states, I had an interview with the Tianjin University of Science and Technology and was offered a job teaching an English writing course. Luckily, I am only about a 20 minute walk from my old campus and have been able to keep in contact with everyone.
Parting ways with my family was much harder than my previous journey. My first few days here were terribly difficult, but now that I'm more adapted to my surroundings I'm feeling much more at ease with my decision to return for another semester.
My dear friend, Leah, just left after a week-long visit. We spent a few days in Beijing and then came back to Tianjin for the remainder of her stay. It was wonderful having her around. I had been regretting my decision to return to this area while there are so many other opportunities for teaching around the world. Leah's presence allowed me to see this country from a fresh perspective - I really have a lot more to learn and experience. Living in a foreign country is a remarkable opportunity that I hope to take full advantage of..
Classes start tomorrow. I am quite excited to see what new experiences lay ahead for me within the next few months.
On a side note: Tibet was the most eye-opening, awe-inspiring, breathtakingly beautiful experience of my life. I have just received an email from my tour guide asking me to visit him again in the near future. The happiness I feel from completing one of my biggest life goals and from experiencing such a wonderfully unique culture is unparalleled in everything else I have experienced. On the morning of June 26th, I woke up at the base of Mount Everest in a tent that was owned by local Tibetans. They cooked me a humble breakfast and filled my glass with strong coffee. We laughed together as we spoke about the mind-numbing feeling of being over 18,000 feet above sea level. I felt the purest joy imaginable.
Each evening I wrote ad nauseum. I will try to retell some of my experiences throughout the future and apologize for my poor upkeep of this site.
June 25th, 2010. Mt. Everest Base Camp. 18,192ft.
