Some Parting Words for Hong Kong...

So, the day is finally here. The end of an era! I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is the last day of my study abroad adventure. In roughly twelve hours, I will be getting on a plane and heading back to California. The best way to describe my feelings right now are a savory blend of excitement, sadness, anxiety and a tiny dash of nausea. I've been anticipating heading back to home sweet home for awhile now, but when all is said and done, I'm really, really sad to be leaving.

I'm going to miss a lot of things here- the walk to school, the cheap food, the surprise in locals' faces when I kinda sorta speak Cantonese, the weird desserts, my little dorm room, the constant supply of noodles, the mini-buses, Lan Kwai Fong nights out... but what I'm really going to get heart-sick over are the people here. My international friends, my local friends, my professors, the security guard at our building, the kind strangers helping out silly foreign me- Hong Kong has become a place synonymous with kindness and benevolence for me. So many people have touched my life here, and I am so sad to leave them behind. Thank God for Skype, am I right?

I now have a slew of international friends, contacts and connections. Everyone I've met here has contributed a new perspective and a new way of thinking to my worldview and I don't think I'll ever think in quite the same way again. I don't know if it's silly to say, but living in another country, even for a short time, gave me a sense of a much, much wider world than I previously understood. And now I have couches to sleep on in tons of other countries! It's awesome!

I came here with nothing but fear and excitement, I'm leaving as a confident, slightly less awkward lady. I feel like I can do anything! I made friends with all sorts of people! I'm independent! I bought my own food and learned to cook like a champ! I've seen a little bit of the world and I can talk to backpackers without feeling intimidated! I have actually been a backpacker! Wow!

I also feel that I've gained a new love and respect for my California home. I miss my family and friends all the time, and consistently reminisced with other Cali locals about our awesome people, food and beaches. I remember growing up in Huntington Beach, enjoying bonfires and being silly with my friends so fondly. I always talk about my friends back in Santa Cruz, and how much I appreciate their kindness, humor and generosity, and the magic of the UCSC campus in the woods. Everything I look back on is colored with a rosy light, and I can't wait to be reunited with so many little parts of California I've missed while I've been abroad. Don't get me wrong- I love exploring and trying new things, but it seems as though in the end I'll always want to go back to my Redwoods, beaches and Mexican food. I don't know where I'm going, but this experience makes me think I know where I'll end up.

And this is my last schmaltzy thought, I promise. This experience has taught me that anything is possible. Life is always more interesting when you say yes and take chances, rather than saying no and feeling safe. I don't know what's in store for me next, but I definitely want to live abroad again at some point.

For my last day here, a few of my friends and I braved the unbearable humidity to hike Dragon's Back, and here are a few of my favorite photographs of the afternoon. Thank you for sharing this journey with me! I really appreciated all of the support from my friends and family throughout this experience and I can't wait to be reunited with all of my lovely Californians! Until next time!

I'll miss you Hong Kong!