Nee Hao!

There's a very thin line between adventurous and insane...and I'm pretty sure I'm flirting with it...

N

Never too early to start making that (Chinese) paper!!

So I just finished the first leg of my journey--a 14 HOUR flight from SFO to Hong Kong (considering its length, I'm calling it the "Yao Ming" leg of the trip). And as I chill here in the Hong Kong International Airport (which by the way, is easily the biggest, most kick-ass airport ever created), I'm beginning to embrace the crazy nature of what I've signed myself up for. I'm now realizing that, when I was telling myself and others that I was "mentally preparing" for my upcoming journey the last couple months, I was pretty much full of crap. It's hitting me like a ton of bricks that nothing could possibly prepare me for living in Southeast Asia for 13 months except, well, living in Southeast Asia. Even in a relatively "westernized" airport, I'm finding myself lost at times--especially being surrounded by a language which I can not even remotely understand. And despite the pleasant air conditioning here indoors, I can already sense a humidity the likes of which I have never experienced waiting for me outside this building. Yet, despite the chaos, and feeling unprepared and overwhelmed, there's an incredible feeling of excitement and anticipation. I have no idea what the near year plus holds, or how I'll possibly be able to manage and/or assimilate, but there's something about the challenge that is intriguing to me. I am confident even at this early stage (perhaps naively), that no matter how challenging this adventure may be at times, it is still going to be one of the most awesome experiences of my life. I've put myself in a position where I have no "comfort zone" in which I can become trapped. I'm going to be forced to put myself out there, meet tons of new people (expats and natives alike), adapt to a new culture and language, and hopefully have a positive impact on some Taiwanese children along the way. I don't think it would be a stretch to suggest that years down the road, I will be able to reflect on this experience and understand how it shaped the man I will have become. Finally, amongst all the emotions that are going through me right now--from anxiety to excitement to homesickness--there is also the pervading sense of calm. And undoubtedly this is from the fact that I have tons of friends and family who are supporting and encouraging me during this time (especially those of you so invested as to actually read the entirety of this rambling, scatter-brained blog entry). I can't tell you how much your thoughts, prayers, finger-crossing, emails, etc. mean to me. Thank you all and much love!