Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Oh Herro Oh Herro!

Hello All!

So I'm not officially in China yet, but this is my first post to my new blog dedicated to my year abroad in China. So here it goes!

My first flight is in about 6 hours, and I have yet to sleep.  I'm trying a reverse jet lag strategy, if there is such a thing.  Everything is packed and in the car and I'm all ready to go.  It still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving the country for almost an entire year.  I think I'm either so used to traveling or I've just psyched myself out to the whole idea of being gone for a year that it won't phase me.  Either way, I'm still really excited about this opportunity and the adventures that lie ahead.  

So advice for anyone packing for a long trip, make a checklist of everything you need before you start packing. It serves two purposes: first you get a clear idea of thing you need and how much and two helps prevent overpacking.  I found myself overpacking and when I attempted to slim down, my mother insisted that I need this and that.  We actually got into an argument about coats and sweaters. Apparently I need an outfit for every weather outcome known to man.  

Here is a portion of the blog for thoses who didn't know I would be leaving America for a year:

I've been studying Chinese since I was freshman in college, and sometime during my freshman year I was interested in joining the Chinese Flagship Program at IU. After I joined the program, I've been working toward this goal of living in China for a year using the language at Nanjing University in Nanjing (Think of it as the midwest of China). After a semester there I'll be doing an internship hopefully somewhere else in China.  So that's the gist of the program and what I'll be doing for the year.

I have an address for where I will be during the first 4-5 months in China, but I'll share that later when I get to Nanjing. And, I want to give thanks to all the friends who took the time out of their days to spend some time with me before I left.  It really means a lot to me, and I will miss all of you.  

This is the first of many posts of my year in China! Come back for updates and pictures of my trip abroad. 

-MC

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