Not Now But Soon

This is my first ever blog entry! I hope to keep up with it as a way for friends and family in the USA to keep up with my silly activities in China throughout the year. I am also imagining myself looking back a year from now reading stories and laughing, reliving each day over again. So, blogs are pretty selfish, huh? I am going to write about "me, me, me" for a whole year, hoping you read it and if not I will still read it myself. Because it's all about me. Haha, no I really hope this is a good way to keep in contact with everyone back home.

Anyways, let me explain the title of my blog. According to the Free Online Dictionary (already being frugal for my upcoming trip), adventive is defined as, "not native to and not fully established in a new habitat or environment." The thesaurus on the website provides the synonyms "foreign" and "strange." Oh and...is adventive even a word? A few online dictionaries included the word in their database but spellcheck does not seem to agree, haha. Well...these coming months will be my own 'Adventive Adventure.'

This blog itself is adventive to me. Hopefully, I will become more accustomed to writing out my thoughts to no one in particular. Oh and please leave comments! Now, onto this entry...

Not Now But Soon

I am not leaving for Hebei University today...but it sure is soon. I leave in 11 days. Can you believe it? I can't. I am in that mindset of knowing I am leaving very soon but my head has not really wrapped around the fact that, in less than two weeks, I will be in CHINA. That huge country beloved by Senator McCarthy. Wait...I'm going to CHINA?! Look at this picture of a random street in China:Those aren't even letters on those signs! I have no idea what that says! What am I going to do?! I graduated from college with a minor in SPANISH. Also...never took any education classes. I am hoping my blood has a love for teaching in it - I mean approximately 50.5% of my relatives are teachers. I DID say this was going to be an adventure....

Really though, I am more excited and eager than anything else. These worries are real but I knew what I was signing up for. If I graduated college and signed up for anything other than a crazy experience, I would be disappointed in myself. In fact, the process of preparing to leave for China has had its share of trials. Multiple trips to multiple doctors to fill out one health form, stressful research for the 'perfect' airline ticket, and obtaining that damn visa. But I somehow already know it will all be worth it.

Engulfing myself in other cultures, cities, foods, music....this is what I want. As a kid (because I'm so old now), I thought of visiting each continent by the end of my lifetime. At the age of 22, I will have reached my 6th country, 4th continent. When asked what my goals are or "Where do you want to be in 5 years?" I always struggled but know if I am a jolly, old man with memories of foreign nations, hilarious friends and family, I will have succeeded.

As I have stated, writing a blog is new and 'adventive' to me. I am not sure what I am 'supposed' to say. Don't fret, my blog entries after landing in China will include wild and crazy stories. PG-13 rated, of course.

Anyone have any fun suggestions for my blog? Comment and let me know! For example, I thought I would choose a song as the title for this entry. Look below.

song of the moment:
Not Now but Soon by Imogen Heap.

sample lyrics:
"Not now but soon
the most beautiful light
will wake us to pillow fighting excitement

Not now but soon
right into every corner
satellites maneuvering beams of change

Standing by the best days of our lives
Magnificent, the best days of our lives."

I thought I'd add a video clip of this song in case you have never heard it: Not Now but Soon by Imogen Heap