2011 A Year of Change

Today, January 1, is my 7 month mark of being a foreigner. It is also a day that many people look to the past and make resolutions for the future. I will follow the crowd and do the same.

Thinking about this past year I feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. For a girl who rarely did anything by herself, I made possibly the craziest (and best!) decision to move to China all by myself. No matter what I do next, I can say I did that. The reason I moved was because I knew there was more to this world than just colorful Colorado. I moved to explore and adventure what else is out there for me. Adventure and explore is EXACTLY what I have done. It is hard to remember what life was like before moving here a few months ago. The only way I can really wrap my head around what I have done and experienced this year is to make a list. --Matt, yes direct copy... don't sue for copyright infringement--- Everyone does countdowns so how about 11 of 2011... Cheeky and done before but, again, I am following the crowd. Oh and these are somewhat in chronological order...

1. Holding my niece, Mina

2. Finishing 2 years with the most amazing kiddos in the world

3. Moving to China

4. Meeting INCREDIBLE People*

*Obviously not EVERYONE that has touched my life this year is in this photo*

5. Climbing the Great Wall

6. River climbing in the heart of jungle in the Philippines

7. Visiting my dream vacation spot... Florence

8. Climbing to the top of the Duomo

9. Learning to speak (A LITTLE) Chinese

My Chinese Name: Huang He Ma (Yellow Hippopotamus)

10. Hearing my 4 year old students speak in PERFECT English... English that I taught them.

11. Realizing I'm comfortable with being... just me!

Now to the future. Honestly, I have been struggling in the past few weeks with the question..."what now?" My contract in China will expire in June and I have to decide if I stay abroad or if I go home to Colorado. This life of living abroad can be very glamorous at times... just to name two "perks"--jet setting all over the world and meeting extremely interesting people ... it is addicting. The adrenaline is clogging my brain from making decisions which means all I am left with is the questions. If I go home, do I stay until June? What kind of school would I want to be at? Then if I decide to pursue living abroad again, is something I can do for another year? Where would I go? Can I be away from my family for another year? Can I do this again... alone? AH the questions. Who knows when I will make the decisions that need to be made, but I do know that it when it happens it will be like when I made the decision to move to China-- audacious.

I will leave you with some Italian graffiti that stopped me while I was climbing back down through the dome of the Duomo. Whatever my decision is for my next step in life, I know that I will try my best to live up to the ideal inscribed by a vandal. Give as much kindness and love to those around me and feel lucky to be with whoever and wherever I am in this world!

Much LOVE to you all in 2012!