Some of you may know that I was already supposed to be in Vietnam, but mother nature had other plans and our first flight was delayed causing us to miss the second leg of our three part journey. We got pushed back a full 24 hours but the airline set us up in a hotel for the night and arranged our new flight.
At first I was a little peeved. We lost a day in Hanoi and were stranded in Guangzhou and blah blah blah. But sometimes disruptions to your plans can be a blessing in disguise. This was definitely one of those times. We were able to relax for a full day, take a good and long hot shower, eat free for a day...the list goes on. Our hotel had wifi, comfy beds, AC. For being "stranded" we were pretty well taken care of.
Most importantly, I got a day of peace, quiet, and reflection. Amber and I had separate rooms so I spent a large majority of my day resting and just thinking back on the last 4 months and looking forward to the next month. I still don't know if I can put into words how much Guiyang means to me. How much my students mean to me. How sad I was to leave behind friends and new family. Having one more day to think about all of that before being thrown into the tumultuous adventure of back packing through southeast Asia helped me come to grips with my departure from my new home.
Guiyang will always be my China home. The experiences I had there will never be forgotten. The person I became there will never be lost. Living in Guiyang and being a teacher has given me a new perspective on life. I see things through a new and improved filter. I've come to appreciate life just a little bit more. I am more brave and confident then I have ever been before. I trust myself and my instincts. Saying goodbye to my students was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Tears were shed and hearts were breaking. Not all the kids understood that it was a final goodbye. As sad as I was to say goodbye, I know that everything about that place will always be carried with me in my heart. I'm so grateful for being given the opportunity to experience all that I did: feeling the unconditional love of a child, walking through ancient towns, eating weird food, falling down, getting back up, waking up with a cockroach on my head....it is all part of my China story. It is all part of who I am. It is all part of why I love it and why I'm coming back.
So was I angry when I missed my first connecting flight? Heck yeah. But if I didn't miss it, I may not have been able to find peace in the closing of this chapter. I probably would have jumped straight into chapter two in order to avoid the feelings of sadness. But that's why you gotta roll with the punches. Getting angry or frustrated with circumstances that are beyond your control will only do harm. Expect that elusive unexpected. Prepare to not be prepared. Know that your plans may change and know that that's okay. You're out there in the world living and experiencing. And life can be messy and unpredictable. Embrace it.
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