I'll be going back to the states on Saturday. It's been another summer in Beijing, and like every summer I spend here, I always have a hard time leaving. I'm going to miss my grandparents, miss the comforts of my house, and miss the tasty foods. Probably more so this year than previous years, I am more reluctant to leave I think, because I will be going off to graduate school.

There are many consequences spawn from this singular change. My environment is going to be very different, and I will have to make new friends and learn to live in a new settling. There will be many challenges for sure, and I can't say I am anxious to meet them. The worst part of leaving Beijing this year is the fact that I do not know if I can return next year. I've been coming back to visit for the last 13 years without fault, and it's a cherished opportunity for me to spend time with my grandparents. But being in grad school is like having a job; summer vacation becomes a thing of the past, and I might only get two weeks off in a year. I'm gonna do my darnest to make it back next year, if only for two weeks, but at this point I really don't know what the future holds for me in grad school.

Also, since I will be going back soon, I'm gonna remind people here that I will be returning to LJ once I get back. Yes, that means my DA journal is going to become semi-dead, but hopefully I'll have something to show for my summer after I get back.