There and back again.

This semester is ridiculous. It’s already over and I feel like I’m really becoming a part of Xiamen. In a perfect world, one would travel to China with the excuse of taking classes, and actually have 100% free time to live and explore around the country, meeting new people every day thanks to a giant population. All good things have to come to an end, I suppose.

I decided to go through a few random photos I took on my phone throughout my time here so as to try and give you a better picture.

We learned about reverse culture shock in a kind of “closure” class earlier this week. I had never thought about it. You would think that returning to American culture would be easy. It is what I grew up with after all. But this kind of “re-entry” culture shock tends to never be addressed.

For me, I have only been here for three and a half months, which isn’t nearly as dramatic as a couple years. We were told the reentry shock will be intensified, however, with China being the opposite of western culture. I can think of small reasons, good and bad, why I will feel different and maybe depressed while going through some shock:

1. Surplus of anything I could want within driving distance.
2. Drying clothes in a machine.
3. Not eating Chinese food all the time.
4. Knowing people can understand things I say.
5. All “hello’s” won’t be directed at me.
6. Not being “the guest” anywhere I go and treated accordingly.
7. Barging to the front of the line will not be acceptable.
8. Nothing will be smoky.
9. Suddenly zero application for the Chinese I learned.
10. US prices.
11. Seeing/hearing about all the things I missed while away.
12. Realizing it will be hard to maintain friendships made in China.
13. People won’t get things done as fast.
14. I won’t be by a beach 24/7.
15. Won’t have to regulate speed and difficulty with my speech.

I’m trying to prepare myself. I miss many aspects of America, but I will most definitely be missing China and what I’ve become accustomed to for the last 3.5 months.

The class ended reflecting on the fact that the more shock you feel on re-entry means the better and more dramatic experience you had in the foreign culture. We’ll see what happens, but I’m definitely planning for pure elation when seeing my family and friends!

I’m excited to see how this journey has shaped me in the context of my normal American life. I can already feel ways that I may be different, for the better, especially as God continues to give me opportunities that seem to inevitably bring me closer to who he truly designed me to be.

I found a lot of travel quotes, since this tangible experience has, in my mind, unlocked a door of the many doors of possible interests. Traveling is something I will be doing throughout my life, and I’ve just made that official by typing this.

I view these quotes in the context of my China experience.

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”

- Aldous Huxley (I couldn’t understand China until I went)

“The first condition in understanding a foreign country is to smell it.”

- Rudyard Kipling (in reference to the glory of Chinese food for me)

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

- Lao Tzu (Chinese philosopher and founder of Daoism!)

In closing, I’m looking forward to sharing my stories and perspectives. If you have more interest in my China experience, I’d love to grab a coffee and chat with you! But, I also definitely want to catch up with all the happenings in your lives while I was away. It’s time for me to return!

Thanks for reading!

Kevin