After spending three months in Taiwan, I thought that getting ready for a semester in Beijing would be simple, quick and worry-free. I am leaving for China in 2 weeks, and none of the above seem to have come true.
Of least theoretic importance, but of utmost practical necessity, is visa processing. Having summer travel plans that lead me away from my permanent address, first for three months to Taiwan and now for two weeks to New York, have proven to be highly problematic. JW202 forms and admissions letters might as well have been lost in the mail: they should have arrived last week, as their point of origin is in the continental US, but that did not happen. Instead, I recently discovered they were going to be sent to Taiwan, the diametric opposite end of the world from where I currently stand. However, and thankfully so, I soon realized the time lag between the purported send-off of the documents and their arrival in New York was much too long for a simple overnight delivery, so I made the necessary phone calls and successfully avoided an I can’t apply for my visa because I don’t have the forms disaster. Phew. Complications regarding where these documents should be sent no longer ensue, but if this is the burden I must bear for traveling, then I think I might just be willing to take it.
While the entire visa issue has proven to be most vexing, I feel it stands alone in that regard. Spending the last three months in Taiwan has been key to preparing me for the following four months in Beijing. Perhaps this blog post would be more apropos of the topic “pre-departure” had it been written three months previously, prior to my summer in Taiwan. Back then, I felt the predictable giddiness and apprehension one would ordinarily experience before embarking on an 8-month journey to a far-away land. It was tough leaving behind those I loved and would sorely miss, harder than I had anticipated. I had been to China before, but never for more than 2 months at a time. So my dream of going to live in China was finally being realized, but an important part of me was being held back by longing and familiarity.
It’s hard to know exactly how or when I made the switch, the turning point from which I soon thereafter began taking full advantage of my time abroad. I have many people to thank for this, and an incredible summer abroad with numerous stories to tell about it. Life in Taipei was nothing like I had ever experienced before: the freedom, adventure, spontaneity and release I experienced every day was unparalleled. My mind is still crowded with memories of the past three months, crafting a vague impression of what Beijing life will be like. I try to suppress that urge, and keep myself from inquiring too much into what I’m throwing myself into. This is hard enough as I visited Beijing a few years ago, if only for a few weeks. As days go by and my departure day nears, I keep revisiting Beijing in my mind, but with the intention of clearing away thoughts of my past trips—to have no expectations, and be open to everything. I could never regret going to Taiwan, or having been to Beijing, but if I did, it would only be because I want to experience the raw newness and awe only a first-timer could feel. That said, I am still waiting patiently—no, restlessly, for this trip to begin.
