Chapter 2 Part 1 : Escape to the East

I needed to escape the familiarities of home. The East Coast was just a pain in my heart because I associated everything with G.

Being somewhat adventurous and in need of a drastic change, I signed up for a foreign language study program abroad in Beijing.

The night before I left I met with her, trying my best to do goodbyes while at the same time seeing if anything was there. All I really remember now of that conversation is that it was riddled with insecurities and false hope. I tried so hard to see if there was anything still left in what was our relationship. If all my fighting had meant anyhting and if this trip was really what I needed. I guess in the end my decision to leave was reconfirmed when our conversation ended in an argument and her driving off while I sat on a curb wishing I had never met her.

Anyways...

I landed in Beijing and almost instantaneously my feeling of heartbreak melted away. It was replaced with excitment. To be in a new world, thousands of miles away from all the memories, was thrilling. Each minute was a challenge as I struggled to make it from point A to point B.

I met my sponsor in a busy terminal and within minutes I was in a van on my way to what would be my home for the next three months.

Driving in the van on the way to my "dorm" I asked a million questions.
"Why is it so foggy here?"
"Thats Smog"

"Was that a McDonalds I saw?"
"Yea they are everywhere here."

"Was that Chinese KFC I just saw?"
"Huh?"


We pulled in to my dorm/hotel at 3 in the morning and I eventually managed to make it to my room.

A small apartment about the size of my old dorm room in college....
It smelled terrible.
The bathrom was a toilet and a sink, with a drain in the middle and a showerhead in the ceiling.

Home sweet home.

I turned on the TV and watched Jacky Chan sing to what seemed like over 300,000 Chinese Children.

I really was on the other side of the world. But I wasnt thinking about G, so I was happy.