It all begins with a first step, just like the saying goes. When you think of it like that, today’s purchase of my plane ticket to Beijing doesn’t really seem that monumental. After all, this is a path that I started walking just over 2 years ago so buying a seat on an airplane is really one of the last steps of my journey. Like Remo Williams, my adventure has only just begun…
I take off at 8:30am from Boston next Thursday, August 7 and I’ll be landing in Beijing right when the shit is hitting the fan: Friday, August 8 is Opening Day for the Olympics. Wow. Frankly, I expect a lot of chaos and a lot of fun!
But before all of that, I’ve still got some things to sort out; like what clothes to pack, how to distribute my few worldly goods (anybody want my homemade Doogie Howser, M.D. DVDs?), and how to part ways with my extensive collection of comics and my beloved personal library.
Oh, and my friends, too.
The good part of having made this decision over 2 years ago is that everybody who means anything to me -except you, “A-Bomb”- has had ample time to get used to the idea that I would be jetting off to the Orient. Like them, there were times when I thought that I might not go through with it, but there has never been any doubt that this was the right move for me. China is where its at right now and its where the next big things are going to be springing from in the coming years.
So as I take these last few steps past the point of no return, I am surprised to find myself not lamenting or obsessing over the past and connections that will be strained or broken, but excited -and slightly scared- about the new experiences and people that are waiting for me over in the Northern City.
More to come…
