Leaving Town

5 DAYS!!!

In five days I will be heading back home. My plane leaves Friday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. from Beijing International Airport. I will finally be back in Indianapolis some time close to midnight on the same day. I am SOOOOOOO ready to be home!!

It's really weird to think I'll be leaving China for who knows how long. Been keeping myself busy with packing and saying goodbye to friends, etc. I think the hardest thing about leaving will be saying goodbye to all my close friends (as I've already had to do a few times). I'll be ready to leave a lot of the cultural aspects though. :-P (more on that later)

Anyway, the trip out West was awesome (for the most part) and I can't wait to show pictures, etc. when I get home in just a few days!! Woo-hoo!!! :)

Into the West....

So, just a quick note to say that I am on my last big adventure before heading home! My friend and I have traveled to the western part of China - Gansu province. I've been wanting to come here since I first thought about the possibility of coming to China, because this was where I was going to be originally placed. I am SOOOOOO excited to finally find myself here!! I will update more when I get home and have pictures, etc., but some of the highlights have been: seeing the westernmost part of the Great Wall; seeing the Gobi Desert; and (today) riding camels around a ginormous sand dune. TOO COOL!!! :) More to come later!! I'm still alive! ;)