Continent #5!!

So.

I'm starting off this latest blog entry with mixed emotions.

I am beyond excited to brush off this dusty blog and start typing again. I mean, hello! I'm going to CHINA!!!

Yet instead of breaking out into my happy travel dance, I have to admit--I'm mildly terrified.

After the "Honduras incident" it seems my eagerness to hit the road has significantly decreased and my anxiety about living abroad again has significantly increased. Regardless of my fantastic experiences living in the UK, Australia, and Ecuador, my time in Honduras really shook my confidence in hopping on a plane and jetting off alone to yet another international destination.

What if disaster is once again waiting on the other end with open arms? What if in two weeks time I am running for the airport, desperate to escape? What if I just can't handle it???

Thankfully, I have wise siblings who interject my frantic stream of consciousness with profound statements like: "Amanda, worrying doesn't solve anything."

Which makes me stop and realize a few things.

First: Worrying doesn't solve anything!!! (Simple enough concept, but definitely worth repeating--especially for us tightly wound, Type-A people)

Second: Even though things in Honduras went sideways it showed me all the things to do and NOT do when preparing for a teaching position abroad. This time around I've quizzed my supervisor on the curriculum, the classes, and the living situation. I received and reviewed my contract before leaving the country. And I've even been in contact with a foreign teacher who currently works there who has been brilliant about giving me all of the insider info I need about the school and life in Xiamen in general.

Third: The buddy system is important. When you're all alone in a foreign country and things start to get hairy, even the slightest issue can rapidly turn monumental. I think one of the reasons why Honduras was such a challenge was because I was literally down there without anyone. According to what I gathered from the locals, I'm pretty sure I was the only gringa residing in El Paraiso. While this might sound like a grand and daring adventure, in reality it's exhausting and lonely and it really sucks when the cockroaches outnumber you ten to one and you can't call in backup. My point: everybody needs somebody. Even more so when you're hundreds of miles from home. So, I'm happy to say that my brother, David, will also be living in Xiamen this year studying Mandarin at Xiamen University. While we aren't exactly neighbors, knowing that he'll only be a taxi ride away makes me entirely more comfortable with the situation. (And I'll have a travel buddy during school breaks so no more solo bus trips where I may or may not end up getting stranded in the middle of China.)

But yes, all of that to say I'm off to CHINA!! And I'm so excited to share yet another adventure with all of you!

My suitcases are (mostly) packed. I've figured out how to say (butcher?) "Hello," "How are you," and "My name is Amanda" in Mandarin. My passport has a fresh new visa in it. Come what may, I've been given a fantastic opportunity to experience Eastern culture firsthand and mark yet another continent off my list.

So, bloggies, here we go again!