Chapter 4: China

Why Chapter 4? 4 is my favorite number...that's really the only reason.

For those of you who don't know the back story, I dated Tommy, one of Drew's best friends for a year and a half while in college. Two years ago, his company moved him to Shanghai, China to work out there. We broke up because he moved but we've stayed in contact over the last two years. In December, Tommy told me he wanted to fly me out for a visit. We made plans for the first week in July (right when I got my week of paid vacation at my new job). We saw each other for the first time in two years in June on a camping trip and I pretty much knew then what the outcome of my trip to China would be.
I need to back track a little more and tell you that when this all first happened, I said, "I've never had any interest in going to China and I would certainly NEVER actually MOVE there!" (Hence the title of my blog.) So now I'm living amongst boxes and suitcases and tons of random stuff all over the place...

This is definitely a new chapter in my life. I will be moving to China on September 9th and once I'm settled in, I will begin Chinese Lessons and also get a part time teaching job. I plan to get a full time teaching job in January, and I'll see where life goes from there.
Crazy? Yes. Brave? I suppose. Excited? More than you know!

Assuming I remember to update this thing, I plan to use this to keep in touch with the important people in my life that I will be missing dearly. I will likely have limited (if any) access to facebook, so email, msn messenger, and this blog will be the best way to contact me until I set up a Chinese cell phone. jpaxton87@yahoo.com I use that as my email and my msn messenger name. Now for the fun part.

For the supporters: Thank you so much! I love you and will miss you a lot! I know this isn't going to be easy on any of us, but it's part of life and it's not forever. Your love and support mean the world to me, and knowing that you'll be there for anything is such a comfort!

For the skeptics: Yes, I have thought long and hard about this. I realize what I'm getting into, and know what I'm doing. (For the most part!) This is my life, not yours...so while I respect your opinions and concerns, it isn't your decision to make.

For the critics and cynics: This could be a disaster, or the best thing that's ever happened to me. Lord knows I can't tell the future, but if I never do it and take the chances, I'll never know and regret it forever. So again, I respect your opinions and concerns, but it's my life.

While I could go on and on about things I need to do here and things I can't wait to do there...those things needing to be done here need to be done soon, so I will go. I hope you find at least some entertainment out of this and I'll post to you soon!