I woke up in a new city and a new life. Obviously, many remnants of my old life remain and I’m taking the parts that I liked with me and leaving behind the ones that I didn’t like or want to bring with me. It is one of the true benefits of traveling; you can be whomever you want.
I think the core of me is still the same. A person never really escapes who they are when they travel because they will make connections with people that allow them to continue to be the person they were, at least in many cases. I’m trying to do that and expand my horizons in many ways while I spend my first three years here in Beijing.
To do that I went out with my brother and did some walking around the neighborhood. I went to a few stores and bought some things that I need to start my life here. Nothing special, just hangers, shaving cream, hair gel and the like. I’ve been spending a good amount of time cleaning up my room and putting clothes away. I’m close to done and have to thank my friend Jill for helping me pack everything in a very compact manner. She’s done a lot of traveling and I’m convinced I was able to put so much into my luggage only because of her suggestions and our figuring out fun ways to pack. One of the ways to do that was to put shirts and socks inside my shoes because the shoes end up taking up so much space and I didn’t want to crush them as they are quite nice and very comfortable. As I’ve been unpacking, my brother’s dog, Leo, has been my constant companion. He is extremely cute and very friendly.
Tonight I saw the Berlin Ballet at the Egg in Beijing. The dance performance was fantastic and the Egg is amazing. It is the National Centre for the Performing Arts and a work of art. Then tomorrow I start my new job and meet my coworkers.