Leaving in 4 days!

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So I finally have my visa after a lot of worrying, and while I have yet to start packing, I leave for Indy tomorrow morning, and then Tuesday morning I leave for Beijing. I am so excited and have been since the summer began, but I am just now getting a little sad to leave Grand Rapids, and a little anxious about the trip. Its going to be an adventure of a lifetime, I'm sure of it. Its a little nerve-wracking, especially going alone for the beginning, but thats partially what I am looking forward to. Unfortunately my Chinese is not that great, so its going to be hard. But if it was easy, I wouldn't want to do it! I'm such a masochist. :P

So the plan, for those that haven't heard me say it time and again, is as follows:
August 5th:
6:20 am I leave on a plane to Newark
8:18 am Arrive in Newark, eat a last cheeseburger at McD's
12:10 pm Leave for Beijing!
August 6th:
1:50 pm Arrive at Beijing Airport
I'll be picked up by Trip, the guy in charge of my homestay. He'll take me to Oliva and Jay's apartment, they are the couple I am staying with until the semester starts, which is exactly 20 days. I'll get a vacation hanging out in Beijing, scoping out the city, and making new friends with my host family, a language partner, and an expat family that the homestay people will hook me up with. Also, I will be in town during the Olympics, and while I don't have tickets, I'm still excited about being around.
August 26th:
Everyone else arrives in Beijing, we move into the dorm, and take placement tests for chinese class. As much as I don't want to start class, it'll be great to have the rest of the group there, and classes should be fun not stressful.
December 8th:
We leave for home. 4:45pm from Beijing, arrive 5:30pm same day in Newark. Strange huh. Then I catch a flight to dayton, and my parents pick me up there and drive me home to Indy.

So keep in touch. I'll try to keep this updated with pictures and stories from my grand adventures! Feel free to email me, I love talking to my friends!

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Photos

The Kids I'm going to Miss
Us getting ready to go to a Rave a few weekends ago.