Back to Beijing

I am sitting on the backyard swing which overlooks our 3 acres, sipping my vanilla latte and typing on my Macbook. The grass is full and green, the dog and cat are roaming around next to me, the sky is blue with a few billowy clouds and the air is uberfresh. My parents are visiting, my children are home and we have incredible neighbors. I love our home in Minnesota.

We also spent a week in Anna Maria Island, Florida and camped a few times at some great state parks – St Croix and Moose Lake – and in my favorite municipal campground in Grand Marais. We witnessed Manatees in Florida and Black Bear in Minnesota.

With all of this love and appreciation I have for this place, why do I want to leave? Why do I want to return to Beijing – a city full of tall buildings, people, traffic and pollution? Why do I want to go to a place where little English is spoken and customs are different to my home country?

My spirit is “wanderlust”, as my Dad frequently comments. In the international community, I am normal. I am with other fellow travelers and adventurers who live with and enjoy change. But as I am here, in the USA – in MN and my hometown of Peoria, IL – I find myself trying to explain why. Why do I want to leave? Don’t I miss my family and pets? Why am I choosing to live so far from the ones I love? How can I leave my awesome teaching job at Tartan? Do I understand what I am risking?

To my international friends, there is no need to explain. Here, I have to come up with a way of communicating that I can love something, but still be away from it. It is bittersweet. It is not without complications. But my spirit enjoys growing from the rich experiences. It embraces the new forged friendships, often developed out of common circumstances. It forces me to learn about new cultures and open my eyes to beauty that is found everywhere. It allows me to be more fearless in a world that seems to want me to be fearful.

I was told this during our first year of international teaching, and it is true for my family and me today. Because of my experiences, I could book a flight nearly anyplace in the world, land and figure out how to communicate and spend time in that place. Fearless in a world of fear. And not foolishly, but with the wise knowledge that most people in the world are kind and helpful when treated with kindness.

My Pastor preached about unconditional love today. He regularly reminds us about GRACE. As we approach our leaving time to return to Beijing, leaving much of what we love behind, please grant us grace. Allow me to grow and develop, with my husband and daughter, in a different place in the world. I am always close by email. Facebook and Skype. And, better yet, expand YOUR horizons by planning a visit to see us. You’ll be surprised and pleased to know that beauty and kindness exists in more places that you can even imagine.