With A Friend at Your Side...

Getting ready for the China trip is proving quite the endeavor! From getting shots... to figuring out the logistics of my travels... to comforting distraught parents- leaving the country for a year is no easy undertaking!

Not to mention my own feelings about leaving the United States for such a long time. I'm so looking forward to the trip and all that I will learn over the next year. Still, I can't help but harbor a bit of apprehension. I've been frenziedly researching everything Chinese, but no amount of reading will reveal what China is actually like- that won't come until I actually step off the plane in Beijing.

When it comes down to it, I know that the upcoming trip will be a great experience. I just get a little nervous sometimes. When I feel this way, I'm quick to remind myself that I'm making the journey with my boyfriend/ best friend - and, most importantly, I remember to keep praying.

Scott's aunt sent me a perfect little travel book and inscribed the following quote, which I thought was surprisingly pertinent: "Go always with a friend at your side and God in your heart." I'll certainly be remembering these words as I spend the next year as a waiguoren (foreigner).