Six?
SIX?!?
Have I really been here for half a year? It’s almost unbelievable to me. At some points, I feel like I just arrived yesterday. Hong Kong is still a fresh place, full of surprises, adventure, new people and new experiences. It’s still exciting. But on the other hand, I feel at home here. I have settled in, for sure. And I can see myself out here for a good chunk of the future. So half of me easily believes it’s been six months since my arrival on November 9th while another half thinks the math is wrong and I’ve only been here mere weeks.
The Star Ferry, my favorite way to get from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon
My memories of life back home are as fresh as ever, though they are twenty-six weeks in the past. I remember my first Homecoming at Villanova, when my departure was imminent, only a few weeks away. I remember a going away party in New York like it was just last night. And that final evening, frantically doing laundry and packing, all while watching the Yankees win the World Series, is still in my head. I remember that car pulling up in front of the house, I remember the three day stop-over in London, and I never will be able to forget sitting on the plane, on the runway at Heathrow, as the engines fired up and the wheels started rolling.
I suppose these events were so special and so important that I will always keep them on ice, ready to relive and recall in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps even harder for me to grasp is the fact that next week, I will celebrate the one year anniversary of my graduation from Villanova. A few days later, June 1st will similarly mark the one year anniversary of my first day of work in our New York office. Where has the time gone?
Leaving my life behind to start anew in Asia hasn’t necessarily been easy. There were days, even weeks in the beginning, when I felt very alone. Thankfully, with so much to see and do, being alone in Hong Kong isn’t the worst thing in the world. And being alone is in no way a synonym for being lonely. Once I started to make friends out here, things really began to take a turn for the better. The people who have come into my life in the past one hundred and eighty days have truly made this whole thing most worthwhile—new friends from all over the world, in Hong Kong for many different reasons.
I suppose these events were so special and so important that I will always keep them on ice, ready to relive and recall in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps even harder for me to grasp is the fact that next week, I will celebrate the one year anniversary of my graduation from Villanova. A few days later, June 1st will similarly mark the one year anniversary of my first day of work in our New York office. Where has the time gone?
Leaving my life behind to start anew in Asia hasn’t necessarily been easy. There were days, even weeks in the beginning, when I felt very alone. Thankfully, with so much to see and do, being alone in Hong Kong isn’t the worst thing in the world. And being alone is in no way a synonym for being lonely. Once I started to make friends out here, things really began to take a turn for the better. The people who have come into my life in the past one hundred and eighty days have truly made this whole thing most worthwhile—new friends from all over the world, in Hong Kong for many different reasons.
First friends: Julian, Jurre, Becca and me on Blake Pier at Stanley
Being away from home has presented its own difficulties, especially at Christmastime. This stretch is by far the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing my mother, father and sister, and lots more time still has to pass before we have our first reunion.
But the memories of these past months are worth it, and I’ve never regretted my decision to move for a single moment. From the American Cemetery in Manila to feeding that elephant in Thailand to sampan rides in Aberdeen Harbor and endless trips on the Star Ferry, life out here has truly been an adventure. I've made friends who have touched my life, even though some of them have left Hong Kong since completing their work assignments here. But, thankfully, many of my new friends are here indefinitely, as I am. I feel that I have grown and matured in many ways in the past six months, and I’ve learned so much—not just about business but about myself and the world.
But the memories of these past months are worth it, and I’ve never regretted my decision to move for a single moment. From the American Cemetery in Manila to feeding that elephant in Thailand to sampan rides in Aberdeen Harbor and endless trips on the Star Ferry, life out here has truly been an adventure. I've made friends who have touched my life, even though some of them have left Hong Kong since completing their work assignments here. But, thankfully, many of my new friends are here indefinitely, as I am. I feel that I have grown and matured in many ways in the past six months, and I’ve learned so much—not just about business but about myself and the world.
With my friend Becca, an Australian who did an internship here
Right now, I don’t even want to think about leaving Hong Kong (except for a vacation, of course). It couldn’t be further from my mind. And luckily, with my situation, who knows how long I can wait before considering the issue! I love that this is an open-ended assignment, and that I can really submerge myself in life out here without having to worry about returning home at some predetermined date. The future is a blank page, and I can’t wait to fill more of it in!
No comments:
Post a Comment