So I have to admit – this abroad experience isn’t what I expected so far.

There’s a lot of work! I’m overloading this semester, which means I’m taking 18 credits, and even though all but one of the classes are once a week for 3 hours at a time.

I don’t have class until 6:30pm Monday, and I’m done with class on Friday by 12:20pm, but that’s still pretty intense, given I have Chinese class 5 times a week.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s been really cool going out, meeting new people, eating nummy foods, but it’s not really what you think of when you think of going abroad.

I’m not going out every night, the classes aren’t easy, the people are kind of rude, and the pollution sucks.

I guess this is that – “I kind of miss home” post. I miss having Vietnamese food, and American food, having people speak English, and I do miss being able to upload a YouTube video in less than 5 hours…

I miss my family and friends and being in touch with everything. I’ve been telling myself it will get better, but so far, it’s just been a lot of readjusting and getting use to the culture, the people, and the smog. ): Oh, and the squatty potties.

I’ve been here for less than 2 weeks, and I already feel like I’ve been here a month.

I’m more than positive that it’ll be a worthwhile experience, and I’m still really proud of my choice, it’s just it’s harder than I thought it would be.

Then again, I haven’t really left the campus except to the Botanical Gardens and to go out – so I think I’m speaking too soon.

Conclusions from this post:

1)   Being abroad can be hard! I’m not stranger to traveling, and I’m no stranger to sometimes missing home, but it can really get hard. BUT! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

2)   China’s very different. You will experience culture shock. They’re in a very special time though, where their people are undergoing a transition from thinking as a whole to thinking more individualistically, and I’m ultimately glad I’m here to experience it.

Here’s a happy picture though! I went to the Botanical Gardens and it was pretty darn awesome.

Over and out!

-kv.