Checking Out...

Chopsticks. Houhai. Dragon Boat Races. Tai Chi. Guilin. KTV. Bicycles. Inner Mongolia. Guo Mao Traffic. Green Tea. Cheap DVD’s. These are all things that come to mind when I begin to think back. The one thing that keeps coming into my mind though is my friends. My experience in China was because of the people I met…the reason I already miss China is because of the people – my friends. I’ll never be able to perfectly recreate this experience…as these two months are gone forever. But as I sit here on the plane flying back to Canada, I am laughing about the fun times, crying tears of laughter and sadness, remembering all of the good times and the bad. I’m trying to figure out how I can put all of these memories into a time capsule that I can keep forever. I make videos, I write in my blog, I take photos…but none of this will be able fully recreate this experience. It’s those snapshots in my mind and the memories of my time in China that will make me laugh about the fun times and cry tears of laughter and sadness ten years from now.

Thank you to all of AIESEC Mainland of China. Especially to the MC Team (Leon, Pierre, Peter, Primrose, Adam, Alice, Kim, Tina, Nico and Yi). All of you have each left me with memories and I can’t say enough great things about your gratitude, friendship and hospitality.

I ask myself – is this the life of an AIESECer? Why are we always putting ourselves through these experiences - Does it make us stronger? How can I possibly move on from something that I have just devoted myself to for the past two months? Will I have similar experiences in the future? All of these questions are floating around in my head right now…and I know they are natural, but I don’t like this feeling of already missing what I have just left and fearing the unexpected future.

Have I become a different person from this experience? How have I changed? As one of the other Canadian CEEDers said, “You see how you have changed when the New You clashes with the Old Life of being back at home.”

Life is an adventure…a learning experience…a rollercoaster ride…a story book…and I am loving every moment of it.

Checking Out…