Goodbye to China

Mengla, China

I've known it all the time: The day would come that I'd have to leave China. Now that the day has arrived I wish I could still put it off. I leave behind love, many new friends, memories, a country that I've got very attached to. I planned on spending half a year here, just to study and travel and ended up staying almost one full one. Maybe I've wasted some time. Maybe I could have done my travels, my studies in a much shorter time but I'm sure that given a second shot I'd do it all again. This country has become something like a new home.
Surely, it's not all perfect - I've discovered good and bad things about China. People can be very nice to foreigners but may also try to cheat you because you're a foreigner. And at some point you do get tired of random people shouting "Hello!" after you while you try to navigate traffic. Girls may be attracted to you but that may only be because foreigners tend to have money (note that I said "may"). Some people have habits that can put a foreigner off - spitting, jumping queues, jaywalking. Then again, you can't expect to travel half-way around the globe and find that things are the same as at home. Things are changing rapidly. That's what makes China both annoying and exciting. Annoying because of constant construction works but exciting because you see things happening (especially before the Olympics). And what may look like complete chaos at first glace actually follows it's very own set of rules. Once I got used to that I've actually felt quite safe - safer for sure than in some other countries. Then, of course, there's the food: The Chinese are proud of it and with good reason. If anywhere it's possible here to eat cheaply but still well. That's one thing I'll miss for sure.
So, what remains for me now is just this elegy for my stay. It's been an amazing adventure - in many ways. I'm glad, happy, thankful I've had this chance, this opportunity. I'd like to thank all the amazing people that have made my stay so memorable - I won't list names (there would be too many anyway) but you know who you are. Thank you! I'll miss you all! I wish you all the very best. I will be back, though I don't know yet when.