On A Personal Note

So it's been a long old time since I last wrote something personal...

Today it has been 6 months...

Or 24 weeks.

Or 183 days.

Or 4392 hours.

Or 263520 minutes since I left the UK.

In that time I have visited 8 countries, countless cities and travelled over 15,000km.

From hitch hiking in Europe and China, to Kayaking and Hot Air Ballooning in Lithuania, to spending 40 hours on cross-country trains to hiking mountains up to 3600m.... And now, to settling into a relatively normal life here in Sichuan Province, with a job and friends from all over the world.

And here I am writing from the flat I share with my boyfriend and 2 - 4 Chinese locals (I'm not actually sure how many people live here full time?), after a day of figuring out visa things and feeling like a proper local.

Sounds like a dream right? So here is a quick update for anyone who is interested!

Work: Finding work in China as an English native with blonde hair is easy, but finding quality work that pays well and being treated with respect by your employer is much harder to find. Currently I'm volunteering as an English teacher with kids from age 2 to 15, with some classes giving a full curriculum to follow and others just letting me walk in and do my thing. This is interesting as, in my opinion, the expected level of English proficiency is incredible for the age of the students, some of which can barely speak their language yet.

Accommodation: We have a flat! 3 decent sized bedrooms, 1 bathroom with Chinese style toilet and a decent sized living room. The best part? We have a rooftop terrace too! With room for planting some vegetables and a group of cats who seem to live up there. China likes to know where you are at all times, so within the first couple of days in your new place you have to register with the local Police, having to do so every time your visa changes or you change place.

Food: I can eat pretty much everything here! For someone who's spent 10 years not being able to eat 90% of food on restaurant menus in Europe, Australasia and the Americas, I can finally pick ANYTHING... Although I usually don't actually know what I'm ordering, I can at least assume meat and vegetables will play a huge part in the dish! As well as rice or noodles of course.

Photography: I have been feeling pretty uninspired recently, after almost 8 weeks solid in the city with nothing but pollution and a never ending 'To Do' list. Luckily this weekend I got an opportunity to leave the city and found my mojo again! it has however made me realise I should probably find a way to be inspired by what is around me rather than deciding 'I am not a street photographer so I can not photograph while here'... Being an artist is about developing to your surroundings and adapting to what you have to deal with.

Personal Development: I have started really trying to dedicate and discipline myself to the things that matter, to keep a good life balance. I am starting to meditate, exercise regularly, keep a track of my daily water intake and making sure I eat enough of the right things. Just small things that keep me on the right track and keep my brain focussed on getting necessary things sorted and leaving behind the rubbish.

I would say all-in-all I am in a good place right now.

Travel changes you, yes. Living on ship changes you, yes. Moving across the world to set up a new life in a country you don't speak the language changes you, yes... But I'm beginning to understand how important it is to actively adjust and develop myself as I go too. Working towards my goals in every area of my life instead of wishing this, thinking that and hoping the other. I feel like I'm at a critical turning point in life, where I can get everything I want through a lot of hard work, or I chill and carry on in the way I have been for the last couple of years... Which haven't been bad years at all, but now I'm up for a change.

Bring on the new year and bring on the new adventures...

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