One year ago today, on Bastille Day, Niels & I returned, for the foreseeable future, from overseas. I can't believe how fast the year's gone. It doesn't seem like it's been a year already.

There are times where I still feel like I've gotten back and am going through a culture shock. It's usually when I'm grocery shopping and am floored at the cost of veggies or the lack of selection of tofu products. There were so many things I couldn't get while in China, but they were overshadowed by the things I could get.

While in China, I never fully felt a part of my community, part of it had to deal with my ethnicity, part of it had to deal with how the school treated me, and part of it were my own insecurities. Since being back, I've been able to slide back into my life prior to leaving, but with a greater appreciation for DC as well as a better understanding of myself and my own limitations (deciding to go on anti-depressants last years has aided in the leveling of my mood swings which were problematic in China).

I miss China on a regular basis, but that chapter has ended. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I love where I am now.