Half
Life has been hectic at the start of a new semester, amidst a (fading???) pandemic. BUT, one personal milestone has passed in August: my Chinaversary. This one marks 22 years.
And 22 is actually kind of special, because that’s half my age. I’m not quite there yet, but in a few months, I will have been in China fully half of my life.
That’s kind of a weird fact to absorb.
Lots to unpack there, John. For starters, do you ever feel adrift as an individual, unable to fully relate to what’s happening in your birth country and yet aware you will never be fully accepted in the country in which you reside? Or do you simply sweep all that away and consider yourself an untethered citizen of the world? I don’t believe there are right or wrong, better or worse answers to these questions. I’m merely probing for state of mind since you put it out there!
Hey, Stew! Sorry I’m so late in replying.
I suppose as for “adrift” vs. “untethered” that it’s somewhere in between. Hence the complexity!
I remember when that happened to me as a Floridian. Until that moment, I had always identified exclusively as a New Yorker. Point is: I can imagine a little bit of what you may be feeling for the monumental difference between living in the US and living in China is quite literally HALF a world apart. Bravo, John! <3
Thanks, Illy. Sorry I missed this when you first left it.