Missing China . . .

Well, dear readers, this will be the very last post about my year in China. Alas, I have moved and moved on, although I really can say I do miss my life in China. I had this post written out a long time ago, but I haven't wanted to post it--it's too final, finished, done. Sad. I miss my dear friends who are now scattered pretty much everywhere! It's strange, though. I know I was just in China less than three months ago, but it feels like a very very long time ago--a lifetime ago! Scary. I don't want to forget! I had such a year--not without it's challenges and frustrations, but I now feel like I can do anything, live anywhere, and I'd be OK. Hey, I've lived in China--what else you got???

It was quite the adventure finally getting home. I was sooo sad to be saying goodbye, but soooo excited to be coming home. Of course, it's ALWAYS the coming home part that takes forever and somehow, I always end up in some random airport because they can't get me home until the next day. Oh yeah, that happened to me this time too! I was stuck in LAX (on my birthday, no less) and had a heck of a flight from PVG to LAX---my flight was delayed because of the rain, which caused me to miss my connecting flight. Also, my roommate and I were supposed to travel home together, but the flights got mixed up and she had to take a different flight. It was awful! We had to part ways at the counter, and she was crying and the mean counter person continued to be mean and insist he couldn't do anything. (I hate China Eastern and will never ever fly them again). However, we did end up meeting up again at the LAX airport, which was fun for me to casually say "Hey, I know you" and we hugged and cried even more!
Alas, the airline couldn't do anything for me except to rebook my flight--this is after I hauled all my luggage (yup, paid twice for one overweight and extra suitcase--totally worth it), went through customs (no prob) and talked with twenty million people who look like they can help you but they really can't. Nope, no flights, all booked, blah, blah, blah. ARGH. Those are the times I absolutely hate flying. Anyway, I finally made my way to special services (again, all my luggage--if you've been to LAX, you know how much fun it is to walk twenty miles to your proper gate, etc. esp. international to domestic). I stood in line forever, and even let someone cut in front of me (close to tears at that point and didn't care) and you guessed it--they couldn't do anything!!!! They gave me a nice hotel room and booked me on a flight to Memphis and then Detroit for the next day. BOOOOOO.
My stay in the hotel was a good chance for me to reflect, especially as I was able to drink water directly from the faucet, watch TV in English, and not see a million Asian people everywhere. Oh, I miss them!!! Not the spitting, though. Nope, I will never miss that.
The things I will miss:
My students (ok, some, possibly most of them:)
Science and Tech Fake Market (never actually made it to the actual museum, just the shopping complex)
BARGAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eating a bucket of KFC chicken with Diane (Never eat it in the U.S. but you make exceptions overseas)
Friday night movie nights--getting DVDS off the street
Lounging around the apartment on the weekends
Foot massages (Sooo goood, soooo cheap)
my wonderful IKEA futon mattress (I was SAD to leave that behind)
my little apartment (now being watched over by Chan Chan)
KTV--good times!
The rice people (I could go for some fried rice right now!!!) and the teppanyaki place
the girls at the bakery who always knew I wanted a passion fruit green tea even though I never knew how to say it in Chinese
conversations on the way to get breakfast in the mornings
laughing in our office; Kao and I exchanging e-mails back and forth even though we sat right across from each other!
our travel adventures near and far; going to the World EXPO
birthday celebrations--Open Door anyone? :)
KG worship, retreats, my small group
Laffa bread salads at Element Fresh (OH that sounds SOOOOOO good right now)
Shopping--I miss my shopping buddy!!!!!!!!!
Getting my eyelashes done!
Our aiyee--God bless her!!
eating with chopsticks--hey, I was good at that!
little bits of food happiness--Magnums, chips that cost 8 bucks but were totally worth it!
my dearest friends!!!!!!

Things I won't miss: (Gotta keep it real, right?:)
watching kids pee/poop in the street
Green tea flavored anything--chips, ice cream, ugh give it a rest already!
The spitting
pollution
traffic
rice in general
the long flights
being stared at for being white
arguing with people over bargains
people shoving into the subway
not understanding any Chinese
full body massages
grading papers and having to create my own curriculum
the dirtiness
McDonalds, H & M, IKEA--had enough, thank you
cleaning our classroom
stealth bugs and mosquitoes
the inefficiency of several processes (airport, stores)--ie making things more difficult just because

I think the pros far outweigh the cons; it WAS a good year. I had so much fun living with Diane--we made apartment 16-202 our little home. I am so grateful--I have met so many life-impacting people. I will miss them, but I know my life has been blessed by them this last year.
So, as Marybeth said, it's not really goodbye . . . it's see you another time!!!

Susannah

P.S. I plan on going back to China someday. Who's with me??? :)