Glowing Lights

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I am struck by the beauty of a new place, yet also by how much I miss home.

This week I found a few American restaurants to quench my craving for chocolate, and have treasured speaking/emailing (especially communicating in English and understanding 100% of what is being said to me) with those back home.

I have explored this tiny piece of China and am excited to explore even more in the coming months. The pictures I posted are of a park, enchanted by glowing lights.



One of the reasons I was so excited to travel abroad was to experience change. It takes a lot of courage to board a plane, destined for unknown lands. It takes a lot of courage (or stupidity) to leave behind a perfectly agreeable life and venture into a place without knowing a single person. I recall thinking, 'what if everyone in my program is just plain weird?' Then I reminded myself that I should be thinking: 'What if everyone in my program realizes I am just plain weird.' But seriously, I was excited to change when I went to China and come back a new and improved version of myself. But now that I am here I realize that it is not change that I am going to experience; it is more like solidifying myself.

In a country full of voices I do not understand (unless they are counting from one to ten or saying 'foreigner', 'hello', or 'I'm sorry, my Chinese is not good'😉 there is a certain amount of quiet in one's own mind. In a place where you look, act, talk, and think differently than everyone else; where your habits are very unlike those around you; and where what is polite is totally different from what you are used to- there is a lot of confusion. And in the face of confusion I think it is only natural to curl into a fetal position emotionally and be completely yourself because who you are is going to be different from those around you no matter what. I think the change I will undergo here is to be able to put up a front even less than I could before. So perhaps instead of changing and being better, I will have less of a social filter. Thats great right? When I begin stealing your fries off your plate with chopsticks after a few months of being home... I doubt you will be happy at me revealing my true (and rather malicious in the face of food) self.

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Photos

Old fashioned scroll
The characters were carved in with a knife.

Comments

[Aunt Aimee]

I continue to look forward to reading your blog and take in the beautiful sites via your lens. I am so thankful that your trip so far sounds positive and you already have at least one friend there! Know that we love you and pray for you.

[Josh Vanderkamp]

SO DEEP!
Taryn you is deep bro. It is a good deep though, even though it sounds like I am mocking you. I liked this post. And I liked the pictures of the pandas previously posted.

[mer]

yo
yo ilove you soooo much i sent you a email.

[Mer]

oxoxoxoxoxoxox
i love you i loved what you wrote. at home we are missing you too a lot. i wish you were here. i am amazed at the glowing lights. i like those paintings too. sadly i will never be that good at painting.