Here are a few things I miss about the States:
Driving.
In China, the public transportation system is phenomenal! While it may take a little bit to get anywhere, it’s quite easy to get around. Since China has such a huge population, it does not make sense to have a car because it’s difficult to find a parking spot and is quite expensive. That being said, I still miss driving my little Toyota Corolla. For now, it’s walking and taking public transportation for this girl!
The Internet.
In my apartment on campus, we will not have access to the Internet until later this month. While we have it in our office, we only get 10G of Internet a month for personal and professional use. Plus, the government blocks most of the sites I would access, so, do not be surprised if you do not see posts on here regularly. I feel so disconnected not knowing what is going on in the news and socially, I mean Facebook, Snapchat, Buzzfeed, quizzed, they’re life right?!
Or not. At least it gets me time to chill out, read, color, play games on my phone, and reflect on my time here.
The ability to communicate with people.
My Chinese is limited to a few words: hello and thank you, basically, and miming. I miss being able to communicate with people. It’s something I am not that accustomed to because I have traveled in areas within Latin and South America, where my Spanish and English get my by. Maybe in the next month I can learn a few more phrases to not look like a street performer!
Oh, and I miss friends and family of course. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about all of you : )
Stephanie is teaching abroad with API in China.
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