...and we're off!

It's official, HBA is no longer some distant, abstract concept for future Sofia to deal with. IT'S HAPPENING. I have to say though, it hasn't really hit me yet. It probably will when I arrive at the Beijing airport and have to rely on the Chinese speaking ability of a third grader to navigate my way to campus.

Here are some things I'm excited for:

- Food. All the food. The last time I went to China I was 12 and was probably still sticking to a diet of ketchup and rice (yes, I know). I have to redeem myself.

- Friends! 中国人 and 外国人 alike.

- Learning. Ah yes, it would be lovely to not have a wave of anxiety wash over me every time I have to respond to someone in Chinese

- Seeing my relatives who live in 上海 and actually being able to talk to them

Things I'm worried about aside from generally making a fool of myself:

- Not placing into the level of Chinese I was shooting for (the exam is in a few days and I haven't done much with Chinese since finals)

- Body image issues??

- Having an identity crisis (I'm half Chinese, but like am I really though?)

- Not making friends or not finding people willing to explore with me

- Not getting out of the “Yale bubble" and not having authentic experiences

A final note for future study abroad-ers: think carefully before you book a flight that arrives before you can check in to your program! I don't remember who convinced me it was a good idea to go early (explore a little, see the city, settle in, they said) but it was a bit of a hot mess. Mom was v stressed. Unless you have friends to go with or are comfortable with arranging housing and transportation yourself I would not recommend!

Thank you for making it to the end of this post- will do my very best to not make them dry! More to come once I make it to China.