the past couple of months have whizzed by, full of parties and nights out, visits from the family, good food, good company, goodbyes. kim left about two weeks ago and i'm feeling it a little more every day. it makes you think about how temporary this place is, how transient these friendships are. the time we invest in relationships here - is it ultimately worth it when you know, at some point, in a few months, a year, whatever - you'll be bidding them farewell with only the hope of a few e-mails to keep you loosely connected?
the semester is winding down and i can really sense that promise of summer break in the kids. they're excited and so am i. i'm looking forward to having weekends again and being able to go on little trips, penetrating this province a tiny bit more. the boyfriend and i went to shanghai last week, just for one night, and i enjoyed getting away from hangzhou way too much. we had amazing meals, got to see exhibits at the shanghai museum, and to top it all off i went on a shopping spree at h&m (pretty much my number one reason for going to the city to begin with). i've realized how over hangzhou i am - maybe how over china i am. i'm so ready to move onto the next thing - the Career, the Stable Life, all of that grown up stuff that deserves capital letters and booming voices.
on july 22 i'll be heading back to canada for about three and a half weeks. i've already plotted out the best ways i can wile away time and give in to complete relaxation and the comfort of home. i can't wait to cook, to barbeque, to go camping, to walk to tim horton's, to go to the mall, to watch movies with my mom, to sleep in my own bed - to do things that wrap me up in familiarity of the days when my dad was still alive.
i guess the most important thing to document in my life right now is that i am so completely in love with this australian guy, the aforementioned Boyfriend, that most of the time it feels like my heart is about ten sizes too big and that i can spit out any romantic cliche possible. he likes classic rock, aussie football, and cooks a mean curry. he has these blue eyes and a voice that feels like home. he's clever and funny and with him, i feel infinite.
