Traveling Soul

It's such a strange and unfamiliar feeling to be back. The crisp, fresh air is something that I dearly longed for...I never slept at all on the 12 hour plane ride and I barely drifted in and out of consciousness on the second plane ride to Portland. My friend Chaunte picked me up and on the 2 hour ride home, I rambled on about China, skipping over the details...we made a quick stop at a secret swimming hole near the McKenzie River where we enjoyed the company of a stranger friend, organic watermelon, and the beauty of the setting sun. I dipped into the cold water up to my waste, looking into the distance, I saw a blue heron fly over. Nature is something I can never escape and as promised, it always brings the good vibes. I knew that when I came back, it would be somewhat difficult to adjust to everything. When talking about any experience, words fail to convey the emotions, the thought process, and the feelings that create and make up an experience. When you return from traveling

About two weeks ago, I lost my phone... It's been very difficult communicating and reaching out to people, but on the plus side, I spend the majority of my time reading and writing, if not having deep talks with my roommate. For the most part, it has been very enjoyable and I feel as though my days are more fulfilling. So Chris from Germany and to my friends and family who I haven't been able to contact, I'm still alive. Last weekend, on Friday, my friends and I went out to dinner for Shakercha's birthday. Her birthday is next weekend, but she's not traveling with us to Shanghai. In fact, there will only be four of us going there, two down from our usual six. We are taking a 16 hour overnight train to save money and then a bullet train back. We will have 26 hours in Shanghai, but I know that every second will be worth it. It's crazy to think that I have 10 days here in Beijing. What started out as 2 months has passed by faster than I could have imagined. As so