This past week, I went to the Black Hills with some friends from Mankato. We went hiking, and tubing down a lazy river in the middle of a field. It was quite a surreal experience. It feels great to have time to have some of these experiences and enjoy being with friends and family.
In these past 2 weeks, I have also had some opportunities to read some excellent books about China and also talk with several people from China to learn more about the culture and government. All the preparation has helped me realize how different China's system is from our own. Last summer, it was easy to overlook these differences because I was only there for about 6 weeks. I think that living in the country for 2 years will be an eye opening experience and all the pre-research has made me realize that I will need to guard what I discuss and be a respectful guest in the country. And as much as I might try to blend in and adapt the customs of the local people, I will always remain an outsider. This means that I cannot attach my self-worth to how well I am doing at assimilating into the culture. Nope, my self-worth will come from a deeper source as it should now too.
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