Homebody, Much?

In recent correspondence with my stateside friends, many have expressed the idea that I may well be ready to come back to the States. Even Sam suggested that I might be ready for a change of scenery.

Truth to tell, after reading news reports of the naked cannibal squatting by the side of a major highway to enjoy a snack of face, I’m kind of scared to come back.

OK, that is overdone. I’m not scared somebody is going to snack on my face, unless it is my new grandson, sucking on my nose. And that is not an exaggeration: I have video of my niece’s baby sucking on my nose. When an infant, my own daughter liked to suck on my nose. In fact, I’ve had several babies enjoy sucking on my nose. It is rather comical, not frightening at all. I do wonder, though: why do babies like sucking on my nose?

Be that as it may, am I ready to head back to the States?

I am ready to travel again. I aver that I’ve not been much of a vagabond so far this year. I’ve only made one major trip during this year’s sojourn in China: with Gary and Mask, to Chong Qing. Besides that I took several small hops: to Nanjing, to Shenzhen and then out to the countryside, to Shi Shou and Hong Hu Bai Miao. I haven’t been anywhere since school started again in February.

What kind of vagabond doesn’t travel? Why have I mostly just stayed home, only venturing out and about in Wuhan?

Two main reasons, the first being my stomach. For the past year, off and on, I’ve had stomach trouble, with the inevitable accompanying psychological malaise. I may start the day comfortably, but more often than not my abdomen would be painfully distended after even the most meager of breakfasts and would only get worse as the day went on. Anything I ate made things worse. The resulting doldrums made it hard for me to be enthusiastic about chasing off to anywhere.

My second reason is financial. Granted I’ve earned good money this year and saved plenty. If I were staying in China to spend it, thirty thousand Yuan would represent a substantial traveling opportunity. However, when converted into dollars, that is not a huge sum. Mindful of the fact that I am going to replenish my Benadryl supplies and replace some of my wardrobe that is worn out, as well as wanting to treat for my loved ones to the occasional outing while stateside, that money might not go far at all. My final financial concern is that I won’t get paid again until October 10^th. I will have to have money to live on when I come back to China.   

Fortunately it seems that my stomach and I have reached a truce. For the past week, every day, I’ve woken up in a state of physical comfort. By having 2 servings of probiotic yogurt each day, and avoiding fried foods and products containing wheat I manage to not feel bad at all. It appears that I cannot eat whatever I want to anymore, without paying a price. Or maybe I’m just getting older and my body is acting accordingly.

With good health seemingly restored, and after having spent months experimenting on myself as to what my stomach will or will not tolerate, I am again ready to hit the road. These last few weeks the urge to travel has revisited. I’m ready for it.

I’ve longed to go… somewhere. Other than my abortive attempt to get to Xi’an for Ken’s wedding last month I’ve not even contemplated traveling. Now that school is out I am free to go, as soon as I turn my grades in. That will be next week. I’m contemplating like mad!!! 

I’d like to visit the upper regions of China that are too cold to visit during the ten months the school year spans. Places like Dalian, Qing Dao, Hohhot, Tianjin and others. I’d love to go to Mongolia, both Inner and Outer. In fact I have several friends, former students who live in those regions and would welcome me to their home with open arms.

Gary insists we spend what I will have left of the summer once I return traveling the southern regions. I’m not sure why, when the weather is hotter down south. It has nothing to do with his business concerns. He is obsessed with Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen. Of course we will take our trip to Xi’an this summer, once I get back from the States.

Am I ready to travel to the States?

Hard as it may be to believe, I don’t miss being in America. This way of life, this culture, this home I’ve made for myself is my reality. I remember from last year, having been in the States that I couldn’t wait to come back here. It seems to me that being in America means turning the dial on my life to ‘suspended animation’. I enjoyed the visiting and all the hugs. I really enjoyed spending time with my loved ones. There definitely wasn’t enough of that. Looking back on last year’s trip, I even enjoyed that grueling Greyhound expedition I took across the country… for the most part. The one thing I didn’t feel was that I was home.

I didn’t feel that until everywhere I looked, the writing was in Chinese, the people were Asian and the food… ah, for good, authentic Chinese food!  

Yes, friends and family and loved ones await. I can’t wait to see them and spend time with them. If I have to go to America to do so, then I am America-bound. While in America I will most likely rediscover things that have slipped my mind about the joys of being there. For now though, I board buses with the regret that, in about 3 weeks, everywhere I go, Chinese will not be spoken.

It is an equitable trade off.