Today Marks My One Year Anniversary in China

Boy has a lot happened in a year. I have lived in two different cities in China, been in 5 different countries, lived in 3 different apartments, made lots of friends, had many adventures, and cried more times than I would like to admit. Even though I have had a roller coaster year, it has been wonderful, and I don’t for one second regret coming.

When I look back at where I was a year ago, I can’t believe how much has changed. If I were to go back and tell myself where I would be in a year, I would probably be pretty shocked. It would probably have made the school easier, but I don’t think that I would have grown as much from the experience.

While so much has changed, some things are the same. I began last year feeling so overwhelmed and insecure about who I was as a teacher. This year some of those feelings are beginning to creep up. Being at a new school with new students, new co-workers, and a new curriculum for the second year in a row is rather overwhelming. On the other hand, this year I have a year of teaching experience, and I have had the whole summer to settle into my new home. (Last year, I only had a day before the school year started). I am also settling into someplace familiar rather than moving to a completely different place.

When one comes to such junctures, it seems appropriate to not only reflect, but also set goals for the future. At New Years, I set the following goals for myself:

1. I will write more.
2. I want to improve my Chinese.
3. I want to stay more on top of my schoolwork.

In some ways, I have reached these goals, so I think that I will slightly edit/ add to them:

1. I will write in my prayer journal more. I have been really bad about keeping up my quiet times, and I know that it will only be harder when school starts. I don’t want this to go to the wayside just because I get busy.
2. I will finish Book 1 of Chinese Made Easier by the end of the semester. I really felt like my Chinese improved over the four weeks of intensive study, and I basically learned all the vocabulary for rest of book one. However, I did not learn all the grammar. I want to keep up the momentum that I had this summer.
3. I want to be involved in something besides teaching. Last year, I hesitated to get involved in too much because I was so overwhelmed with schoolwork, but now I feel much more confident in my ability to stay on top of my schoolwork. So I want to branch out. I’m not sure what I want to do, but I want to do something.

Happy Anniversary China! In our first year, we have gone through several trials and tribulations, but they say that the first year is the hardest. I look forward to many wonderful years together.