Little things set it off. Hearing a snippet of a conversation between two Chinese people in the library. Watching a Chinese person in Starbucks try to explain to the barrista that they just want a medium ("What is this grande?") green tea.
My status on renren.com translates to "When I was in China I didn't miss America, but in America, I reminisce about my time in China every day. What does this mean?!"
My friend Liu Wu commented on it. Loosely translated, he said, "Haha, you're rooted to China."
That's true. After living there and loving (almost) every minute of it, I should have known that coming back to the States would be a problem. I'm rooted to America, specifically the Deep South. Don't get me wrong, I love America and the unique Southern culture that has surrounded me growing up, but after 21 years in small-town Mississippi, and after seeing plenty of places that are more interesting to live, it's hard to slow down and get used to it...again. I went to China and left part of myself there, and even in America, those roots are growing deeper and deeper.
Some people don't know what else is out there, so they're content. I think that's what travel has given me: the inability to settle. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, we'll have to wait a while to see. For now, I'm counting down the days until I can go back. Or go somewhere.
Awww, 别着急马舒凯， 慢慢来。 We'll all get back to Shanghai (Qingdao?) some day soon. Thanks for telling me about new blog, btw. Lucky for you I have excellent stalker capabilities.
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