Make a Life

On an almost daily basis, I get asked what it is I miss about China. Sometime its hard to put into words what I miss. But, I will do my best. This week I told Ed to write down 10 things that he missed and I would do the same. So here are my 10 things:

1. My friends: Of course when I am in China I miss my friends and family in the States. But, its different there. I saw my friends on a daily basis in China. I had weekly gatherings with them as well. The lifestyle led to being able to be much more social then I am now. 

2. Time I got to spend with Ed: This one is HUGE. If you've been following my blog you know that my husband and I barely get to see each other here. Its hard and I am not a fan. 

3. Feeling like I made a difference: I felt like I truly made a difference in my students lives. It was so great to connect with them. I also felt like I made a difference in my friends' lives and they made a difference in mine. 

4. THE FOOD: Until you try authentic Chinese food, I cannot fully explain this to you. Its. Just. So. Good. 

5. The flexibility of my day to day schedule: In China my schedule varied based on my class schedule. I had a lot more free time than I do here and was able to decide if I wanted to go shopping, or running, or climbing a mountain whenever I felt like it. 

6. Paid Vacations: Summer and Winter holidays were paid. We were able to visit friends and family back home and not worry that our bank accounts would be empty upon returning. 

7. The ease of forming new relationships: It was easy to bond with other foreigners because we were all going through similar life experiences. It was also easy to make friends with Chinese people because they were so eager to share their culture with you. 

8. The opportunity for travel: Not only did we get to travel back and forth to the city we worked in, but we got to explore a whole new country! If we were to go back, I'd like to also explore the countries near to China. Travel is so much more affordable on that side of the globe.

9. Time I had to spend bettering my health: I was able to cook more at home, and fruits and vegetables were CHEAP. I was also able to run more and attend exercise classes much more frequently. Here, I am either working when the classes are available or just too exhausted. 

10. The feeling of adventure: Even going to buy a banana could become an experience over there. I miss that. 

Ed's 10 things were a lot like mine, food, friends, travel etc... But, he also had the fact that he was able to study languages when he was there. He not only studied Chinese but Russian and Arabic as well. He didn't get to master them but he had the time to try! He also misses the mountain. When we lived in Shaoxing we lived right across the street from a mountain. It was on that mountain top that he proposed to me. 

There is a quote that I am often reminded of here. Its very cliche, but I think it is also very true. "Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life". I feel like its something a lot of people say but don't follow. For me, its something I want to follow. I want to experience life. Right now, I feel as though I am just getting through each day to get to the next. This is not what I want to remember when I am old and reminiscing. 

Making this list has served a dual purpose. I can finally answer those who have asked AND we have had the chance to really think about what it is in life that we want/don't want. We may not know where we want to be. But, we now know the type of life we want to lead. We don't want to simply go through the motions. We want to make a difference and make experiences.