Off the Grid

Greetings Earthlings. I'm officially off the grid. My time in my comfortable, luxurious dorm room ends today. I'm heartbroken! (ha ha!). No pictures to post this entry as not much has happened! I finished exams last Thursday and then fell terribly ill (might have something to do with the crazy high pollution levels?!?!). Therefore, I have spent the last 3+ days lying in bed coughing. So lovely! Today I am a little more motivated to be vertical because I have to pack for the next leg of this wonderful journey. 41 lbs of stuff are now on its way to Mom's house, and I am left once again with only my backpack.

A lot of you have asked how I did on my exams. I'm still not sure. Graduation is this evening, and I'm attending, so I guess that's a good thing!?? I might end up getting a 'thanks for coming' certificate as opposed to a 'certified Chinese language studies' certificate. Either way, my time here has been a wonderful experience. I've made some great friends and have learned a lot. So, regardless of what is inked on the certificate I receive, I am happy!

A lot of you have also asked what my plans are now that school has finished. My Mom, Pat, arrives late tonight (barring the snow storms currently hitting Tokyo, one of her layover stops!). She and I will spend about a week exploring Beijing. Then, we'll visit some of the supposed highlights of China: Xi'an, Chengdu (pandas!), Lijiang, Kunming and Shanghai. We will be spending Chinese New Year (celebrated on February 14th, although the real party is the evening of February 13th) in Lijiang. I'm really excited that Mom is coming and am looking forward to our adventure together. I've already warned Mom that visiting China will not be a relaxing vacation. Every day will present a new challenge...I'm glad that she's up for it! Although, based on how many times she's had her friends email me from the airport, I think she's more excited about the airplane ride! ;) We'll be co-authoring blog entries while she's here and since we're seeing a lot of new places, we'll likely have more frequent entries...so check often for updates over the next 3 weeks!

Mom leaves me in Shanghai on February 23rd. After that, I'll spend a few days longer in Shanghai. Then, I fly to Guilin, another Chinese village that I really want to see before leaving. After that, I'm taking a new approach (for me, anyway) to backpacking. I am not going to plan anything. I don't have any hostels booked, no trains, no flights other than to Guilin. I'm going to see where the wind takes me....and I'm super excited about it!