Here I am on one of the most intensely frightening things that I have ever done. I am trying to wrap my head around just what it is that has got me worked up like this. I think that it has something to do with the immensity of this project on which I am embarking.
In case you are wondering, or have not heard the news, I have accepted a position teaching English in Beijing, China. As you may know, I love to travel the world and yes, China is on my list of places to visit.Even with all of those things considered, one can not be prepared for the path that your mind takes when you realize that you will be away from home for an entire year. Not only will your home environment have changed, but you, as a person will have become completely self sufficient whether you want to or not. It is possible that the relationships that you started and nurtured will disappear or fade into nothingness. It is possible that the girl that you like will have grown in an entirely different direction. Friends may have become enemies and enemies may have become your greatest allies. This is what I think about. This is what scares me.
Here I sit, in seat 24A, a small shoulder length space next to a window that dare not be opened for fear of flooding the entire cabin with light. I eat my beef stir fry with chop sticks to try to grasp, evermore, at the culture that has, henceforth, been a mystery. Just over half of the plane ride is gone and I still see no end in sight.
The language, for me, is a cumbersome one that I am not very familiar with. The only comfort, I think to myself, is that Spanish was once the same way and I conquered it. My challenge, however, is to do what took me 6 years, in 1. Needless to say this will prove a daunting task.
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