1 year.

It has been one year since I moved to China. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. In one year it is always hard to tell how well you really care or know something/someone till you revisit that year one day with a pen and paper. 

I landed in China Last September, had a suitcase full of random stuff from home and a ton of clothes for professional attire. 

A week in China I had already been well acquainted with other local expats. I was finally carving a niche for myself.

Winter comes along, I get incredibly sick, I reevaluate a lot of things and end up meeting the love woman I am dating today. 

February was full of adventure and what a learning experience this two year contract has turned out to be.

May, I decided to stay in China for another year, get a bonus and try to pay off my student loan. I enjoy my apartment and I'm going to travel to shandong province with my Dear Lily. A lucky man I am.

June rolls around, I have officially completed my first contracted year, I have two more to go now that I signed off on the signing bonus. I'll be teaching foods and nutrition along with English in September, super excited!

I began summer with Kyle in Japan we parted ways hoping to run into each other again, a dear friend and the best travel buddy. Miss ya brother. My girlfriend meets me in Canada to be introduced to my family and see where I come from.

At this point things with her are great, ya I can see myself functioning fine without her in my life but that is the first woman in a long time who made me feel like I don't need to depend on them, I don't have to prove anything, the relationship is not a competition or anything along the lines of stress and jealous. She may be the one, I can say that because no one reads this. :)

I'm back in China for a month before the regular school year starts, I'm teaching summer school. I'm teaching introduction to English 10. A good friend and I have a dispute over positive and negative personality types, we will never be the same but hopefully things work out. I still miss him to this day, hoping he keeps well.

Summer school ends, I'm ready for great year, I'm getting tired but need the holiday that we setup for in South Korea.

Bam, the year in a few sentences.

Stay positive folks and never forget to stop and smell the roses. If it weren't for the people I knew and met over the time of being here. I probably wouldn't have stayed. Thanks for your help everybody.

I love you baby.

CB

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