Wow, what an experience. A short novel could probably be written based on the memories I have of this place, but for now, a simple blog entry will have to suffice. I have learned so much; about a culture, about a way of life, and about myself. This trip has made me realize that there is more than one way to go about living my life, and that conventional thinking is not always the best way to look at things. I have been back in the U.S. for about a week, and almost every thought in my mind has been about China, the people that I met there, and the lessons they taught me. I went for a bike ride a couple of nights ago, trying to replicate a feeling I had while riding a bike with my student. Needless to say, it was not the same. As I pedaled down the placid, eerily quiet streets of my neighborhood, I found myself daydreaming that I was back, in the crowed, hectic streets of Tianjin, surrounded by people, having a casual conversation with the incredible person riding on the rear wheel. I don't care if it takes two weeks, two months, six months, or a year, I'm going back. Thank you to everyone who made this trip so memorable.
