Well, this is awkward...
I’d completely forgotten about my LiveJournal. I haven’t updated it at all since 2009. There’s been so much that’s happened in the decade+ that’s passed since then that I don’t think I even could write it all down (even assuming I could recall every detail) to cover everything. That aside, I hardly had a dedicated readership before my LiveJournal went by the wayside. But, I do enjoy writing. And I am trying to make a better habit of writing regularly. And chronicling my life for my family and friends to catch up on (should they ever have an interest in doing so) does seem like a worthwhile way to develop that habit while keeping them abreast of what’s going on in my life. So here we are.
I’ve been living in China for over 10 years now. Somehow in that time, it’s simultaneously become a place where I feel at home and a place that I will never fully understand. But then, I suppose the same is true (though the latter to a lesser extent) of the US. The last time I went back to the US was just before COVID broke out in 2019. I mean, I literally went back to work on the Monday after coming back from the US and my coworkers were talking about the outbreak of a new virus in Wuhan and what it might mean. It was kind of surreal to go back to the US and have that feeling of “I’m home” only to leave for the other side of the world and have that same “I’m home” feeling in a completely different place.
In hindsight, I’m lucky to have gone home when I did. I didn’t even have the option to go back afterward. Well, I suppose I could have but I don’t think I’d have been able to get back into China afterward. At least not without spending a substantial amount of money. Now, this whole thing is coming full circle and all the lockdowns are hitting here again. I spent last week and the week before working from home. This week, we’re doing 3 days in the office, 3 days working from home (we’re working Saturday because Tomb Sweeping Day is coming up and we’ll have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off afterward). It should be a good time to visit my wife’s hometown. My daughter went there a few weeks ago with her maternal grandparents, and I think we’ll get her and bring her back to the city with us on this visit. She’s been doing remote learning, and we need to bring her back to do in-person education.
I’m glad that she went back when she did. But it’s been hard for her. I think it’s been hard for us, too. She’s dealt with a great deal of hurt, both physical and emotional since she went back and her mom and I haven’t been able to help her work through them very well via video calling. Besides, I just miss having her at home. She’s definitely a bright spot in my life and brings a lot of joy and energy along with her.
Life keeps going and we all find out eventually what the future holds.