January Holiday

So January marks the New Year and in China, the Chinese New Year. This year it lands on the 23rd and it is the year of the dragon! All very exciting and it gives me a month off of work.

A lot has happened. I had tickets to Bali and Vietnam and was looking forward to these trips for months. Medical and body issues have decided that, no I can't go do those things. I had to cancel tickets and now I am stateside for a month, getting medical attention. I am told I have Kidney stones and some other things going on. It has been quite exciting and the drs have been nothing but helpful since I got home.

It has been weird being back in the states but at the same time, feels like I never left. I came home to nearly an empty house as my parents are moving and to warm weather. Both very weird things! My welcoming home was a fail, the airport changed the gate arrival and did not inform family members. I walked around for an hour wondering who was going to pick me up and trying to find quarters in the 4 types of currency I had in my wallet--to make a phone call. I was finally picked up after wandering around trying to find my mom.

Jet lag has not been that bad this time around and I have slept through the night and woke up at a decent time, win! My favorite thing of being home has been driving. It is thrilling and liberating and I have missed it a lot. I wish there was an area where I could drive as fast as I wanted but I will stick to the posted limit, I don't need tickets. I also will be flying up to Washington next weekend to visit my Dad and the new house and just get to see everything before I go back! A quick trip but a fun trip :)

All in all I am excited for this month and the people I will get to see. I am going back to China with a new job, the old job I quit. After lots of talks and prayers I decided the job I was at, was not fitting. It was really hard to quit and I felt really guilty but it was the best decision for me, I feel so much better. I am really excited for my new job and the people that work there. It will be a nice fresh start and hopefully I can help the school and it's growing process. So please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I go back to China to a new job and new place to live.

with love,

Ashley