12:02 PM (again...) CST
Reflections...
I actually did it! I traveled to a very foreign country all by myself for three whole weeks! I was happy, sad, physically sick, mentally and physically exhausted. I had a good cry here and there - maybe a little homesick, maybe a little over-tired, maybe a little lonely, maybe a little hormonal. But I had some good laughs too. I met lots of fun people, and quite a few whom I'll keep in touch with for a long time.
I tried every (and I mean every) food once and learned how to use chopsticks without dropping noodles in my lap or flinging chunks of unrecognizable meat across the room. There are a few things I would have done differently, but the good thing is I can't remember what they are; and there are a few places I didn't get to see, but that gives me all the more reason to go back!
They say there's more honor in being a "traveler," but sometimes it really is OK to be just another tourist.
I heard a lot of stories and learned that I don't know near as much as I thought I did. I learned that the hospitality of people you don't know and may never see again can change the course of your life. And I learned that it's nice to have company, but sometimes you just need to be on your own to keep hold of your sanity. :)
