After 2 hours of watching a movie, falling asleep and having to call the flight attendant to help me find my glasses, I find myself sitting here restless yet again. It's been a pretty surreal morning with my last official day in Hong Kong. Arriving here more than 4 months ago, I didn't think I would ever see this much, both of the world and myself. I've had so many things answered, but so many new questions have surfaced. I thought that I knew myself pretty well at the beginning of my exchange, but I was brutally wrong. When I reflect on things that have happened over my exchange, I can't even begin to summarize the experience. Throughout this time I feel like I've just been living... like you're in the moment and you're in this foreign country integrated into its culture and daily life. It was simple and it was the only way to describe it. But over these past days once I've drowned out the vacation mode, I've started to see that a lot has changed which has changed many of my perspectives. It was a gradual change, there weren't any Hallmark moments to capture it with justice. There have been difficult times, with adjusting to living "independently" (I wouldn't call dorm or student life 100% independent), homesickness, and culture frustrations with HK and the educational system. Overall, I think i've gained somewhat of a source of maturity, of how the world really works, and the blistering realization that I will soon become a member of the working world. It's no longer a land of irresponsibility and ongoing "cushioning" of the university life. I do feel that I've become a lot more flexible and optimistic that things will work out (although this still needs work at times). I've seen how the ability to remain calm through situations really does go a long way in figuring out solutions in a rational manner. I think I've also picked up a nasty shopaholic addict habit (especially shoes). Good thing HK makes it easy to have this habit since the turnover rate is high and there are cheaper options. In Calgary, I don't think I'll be able to buy anything for a long time :(. On a more personal level, it's realizing that it doesn't matter where I am in this world, but that I surround myself with the people that are the most important in my life - those that will be with me to the bitter end (though, it's a plus if it's a place as spectacular as HK :P). To round it out, I'm so happy that my parents were able to come travel with me at the end of my exchange. It gave me a completely different view of my background since they were the ones showing me around the country and teaching me about the history. It's always interesting to hear about countries from a local point of view. The fact that it was my parents made it even more special and it's one of my most memorable experiences.
Even thinking on the plane right now, I know that going back to Calgary will be different. My world has changed a lot, so has the city and people which I will go back to. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm still the confused short asian girl that left, but with some slight alterations. I don't know what to expect, and it doesn't really scare me, I'm just curious and anxious to see how things are. I know that I will still have an amazing support network that will be there with me. I also have Oscar who I've been missing from the first day here. I'm excited to see all my friends and family to see where they've been over the past 4 months. I KNOW i will miss HK immensely including the way of life and the fabulous people I've met here. All I can look forward to is seeing them in the near future perhaps somewhere else in the world. At the beginning of my exchange I said that I preferred Canada over HK, but the more I travel the more I see there is life outside of Canada. But again, the people around me trumps where I'm going to end up. It'll be interesting to see how the next few months turn out.
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