Being back in America has been... surreal.
At first, I just didn't quite feel right. I couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong. I just felt tired and disconnected. A lot of that was jet lag. Some of it was because I'm getting ready to move away from home, as this is my last semester of college, and a lot of things are changing.
I had a lovely holiday and caught up with friends, and now I'm moved back to Tulsa. I miss a lot of things, but I miss speaking Chinese every day the most. I ran into one of my Chinese friends and got to speak a little with her, and I ordered food for my mom and some friends in Chinese. It tasted almost like I was there because I'm lucky to go to school in a city with a few authentic Chinese restaurants. But it wasn't quite the same. I'm going to need to learn a few recipes.
I'm ready to teach my friends how to play mahjong and to learn to make new dishes. I'm (almost) ready for my Chinese literature class that technically counts as advanced Chinese. I've come a long way, and I brought a lot more back with me than I ever expected to. I guess that happens when you go somewhere so different from where you live.
I may be back in America, but my Chinese adventure has only just begun.
