Goodbye China

Well, this is it. I have left China to spend the summer in Washington DC before I go on to pursue an MBA at Schulich Business School in Toronto, Canada. I am not going to write a summary of my time in China, because that would simply take too long. What I will do however is talk about what I think were the highlights of my 6 months here.

The top highlight of my time here has been making new and unexpected friends, and so the first thing I have to do is thank the people who made this experience so memorable. The friends you make and the relationships you form are the most important things in life, and I am extremely thankful to have been around an amazing group of people while in China. So thank you to Fran, Joel, Abbie, Ben, Rose, Sybille, Yoyo, Lily, Maggie, Jenny, Becky, Iris, Daisy, Tracy, Cherry, Nancy, Monica, Liz, Erica, Aaron, Georgia, Diane, and everyone else I forgot to mention. You guys are awesome, and I will always remember our times eating, drinking, and laughing together. Xie xie.

I am also thankful for the students I had the privilege of teaching. There was a lot of frustration along the way, but it was always outweighed by the kindness, joy, and occasional brilliance exhibited by the students. It was unexpected, but when leaving I realized that I had completely fallen in love with these kids. Youth truly is beautiful, and something that I think I will appreciate more thanks to this experience. The young mind is extraordinary, and I can say in full honesty and confidence that in my time teaching I have encountered some of the smartest people I will ever meet. The next generation is in good hands.

Lastly, I have to mention the food. People always say that Chinese food in the West pales in comparison to the original, and my experience here has only affirmed and reinforced that belief. I will miss the food dearly, and make it my mission to find the most authentic Chinese food I can when I get home. I will also miss the ease with which one can eat authentic, beautiful food at a cheap price. Fast food in the US doesn’t hold a candle to Chinese street food in terms of standard of quality. Everything is homemade, authentic, and fresh. It doesn’t get any better than that.

This being a blog about my time in China, I think it pointless for me to continue writing in this space. I don’t know if I will start a new blog at some point, but for now I will retire from the blogosphere and enjoy the summer with my family. Thanks for reading. Until the next adventure,

Sebastian