I'm sitting in the apartment of my friends, Megan and Emma, on Megan's birthday. We'll be going out later to celebrate Megan's birthday. There will  most certainly be drinking and revelry, but I have to admit that every time I go out with friends for dinner, drinks, or any manner of good times, I'm reminded that this might be the last time I do that in Chenzhou. I'll still be in China next year, only 2 1/5 hours away from here, bur I also know that I won't be seeing any of these people on a regular basis anymore and I won't be wandering the streets of Chenzhou ever again.

I've been surprised at how sad it has made me. I don't remember feeling this way about leaving either Atlanta or Salt Lake City and I wonder if it's just age catching up with me. I've grown attached to this town in a very short order. And to these people. It seems like I've known them and this place longer than I actually have. I think there's one simple reason that this parting has been more emotional than some previous moves: it's a luxury I can afford now. I've always lived hand-to-mouth in the States. The past year in China has been the first time in my life when my monthly intake has been far greater than the cost of living.

I don't mean to imply that I make a huge amount of money here, I don't. But the cost of living is so low, I have no worries at all about whether I'll be able to eat every week.

*Please note: I moved shortly after I wrote this and didn't realize that I never posted it. I've been in Guangdong Province for most of the summer and have recently settled into a place in Zhuhai. This post was never finished, but I've decided to post it after the fact anyway. Hopefully, I will be able to post an update next week. Thanks for your patience!