再见 (Zaijian, Goodbye)

I've tried to start writing this entry four or five different times, and every time I just stop because I don't know what to say. I'm so overwhelmed. A year ago, my time in China was just an abstract idea; phrases like "Light Fellowship,""HBA,"and "PKU" just meant sets of paperwork for me to fill out. But now I'm sitting here in the oh-so-classy Omaha Municipal Airport and getting ready to board a flight that will take me to Detroit, and, 15 cramped hours later, to Hong Kong. My mommy's coming too :)

I'm so glad to be spending a week with my mom all over China before my program starts. Every break I've had during college, we say we'll go spend some quality time together, but of course with our family's schedule, that never really happens. Now we'll have ten days to take in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing before my program begins in earnest. I think she's a little wary of going all over China when we (I) barely know the language, but she'll love it by the time she's done... I hope.

I guess we're technically supposed to be boarding now... whoops. But the last thing I wanted to say was that it has never been so hard to leave home. I delayed packing my last bag until we literally had to go out the door, because I didn't want it to be time to leave. But now that I'm here, I can't wait to see what comes next. Until Hong Kong, 再见！