It’s been one of those turbo-charged productive days. I’ve been sitting in front of the computer for goodness knows how long. The thing with being a very outdoorsy kind of girl is that even if my day has been uber productive, if I haven’t been outside.. I feel like I haven’t done a thing. So.. right after this post, I am heading out. And getting coffee. Heh.
This is my motley crew that I spent the last two weeks of my backpacking trip with. (Photo courtesy of Sherman Wong). My brother and his two friends from high school, and my peace corps joining, revolution escaping, contraband smuggling best friend and I at the foot of Hua Mountain in Xi’an a little over two weeks ago. Hua Shan is one of the most brutal mountains I have ever attempted to hike up. At points, the trail was a ladder carved right into the rock face with a flimsy chain rail to cling on to. I assure you, we did not look half as energetic on our way down 
Amblings in Southern China and Xi’an
Skimming my last entries, I realized I completely skipped out on my amblings in southern China entirely. After our adventures aboard the Roach Boat, Melissa and I took a 12 hour train down to Guilin where we immediately hopped on a bus for Yangshuo (aka, paradise.) We spent an incredible week climbing mountains (you may be noticing a trend in my travels of late..), rafting down the incredible Yulong river, and taking in some world class rock climbing on the famed carsts. It’s difficult to write about Yangshuo, because words and even photos seem like such a poor medium. It’s one of those places you just need to be there to appreciate. I was particularly honored to photograph Connie and Andy’s engagement in Yangshuo (the blog entry has temporarily been made private at the request of the client, but it will be unlocked soon). They are a phenomenal couple, and flew in all the way from Canada. Now THAT is a rockstar couple in my book.
Beijing, an epilogue
After our short visit to Xi’an, it was back home to Beijing. Things all sort of blur together at this point: a frenzy of visiting historical sites and stuffing ourselves silly with amazing food. One thing is for certain though: however long you’re spending in Beijing is never long enough.
The guys left a few days ahead of us for Jetsonville, and Melissa was kind enough to help me pack up my life in the ‘Jing. We were planning to leave on Monday.. then Tuesday… and then finally on Wednesday we booked our tickets for Thursday morning. Heh. Like I said.. my time in Beijing is never long enough.
As I write this in my apartment in Hong Kong, the past year feels like an elaborate dream. I seem tethered to this island, and it is my fourth time living here. The sense of deja-vu was made all the more apparent as I got sick after two months of hard backpacking, spending my first two days here practically comatose. I haven’t begun to sift through the tens of thousands of images I have from my travels (tens of thousands is a rather intimidating number of images to start processing, you know). But I suppose when I do, the reality of those experiences will come thundering back.
I miss my Beijing friends desperately. My dear friend Monica is a wonderful blogger and shared her experience of returning home after Beijing, and her reflections on the relationships formed while studying overseas
… the number and quality of friends that comes from spending twentysomething years of one’s life in the same city.
It was one of those rare occasions where I had to respectfully disagree. Maybe because it leaves little hope for a kid like me, who feels perpetually abroad even in my home city. I can’t help but feel that my friends there know and accept me in a different sort of way than others do. Maybe because they had such a hand in forming that person. Where would I have been without Joel’s bohemian influence, who taught me everything from tea to believing in my talents. Or Simon’s sense of adventure and eclectic taste in music? What if I had never met Sophia, Jessica and Stacey who were the first to take a chance on me and give me a platform to actually teach photography?? And everyone else who left an impact on my life who I couldn’t possibly list in a blog entry as it would be inexhaustible.
Much as I look forward to restarting my life in Jetssonville (yet again), it isn’t without longing that I think of Beijing. For me, China will always be my great frontier. My adventure. The place I feel compelled to escape and return to… with my Nikon.
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