Just a Minute (June 2011)
June 30th, 2011 | Categories: Life | 6 CommentsOn the last day of every month, I take Just a Minute to reflect on what I’m currently up to.
Exploring… Xi’an, one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China and one of my favorite places in the Middle Kingdom. The sights are amazing (I love cycling along the City Wall) but what’s even better is the food! Nom nom nom.
Applying… for fall internships. I have a few ideal ones in mind, but I’ll apply for any that I’m interested in; hopefully I can score an interview or two!
Writing… various freelance articles for several websites. It’s good to get back in the writing swing of things.
Preparing… to be reunited with my beloved Beijing in two days!!
Thankful… that my teaching gig for the summer fell through. My two friends that accepted the position absolutely hate it for a myriad of reasons and have told me repeatedly that I’m lucky I backed out when I did.
Reading… classic English literature. I’ve finished Jane Eyre and am going to tackle David Copperfield next.
Feeling… nervous about my impending return to the US. I’ve been gone so long; reverse culture shock is inevitable. Kind of scary when you remember that I didn’t have culture shock when I arrived in China.
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Hi, I'm Manda. I'm a college student studying communications and languages. I like to read, shop, bake, and travel. I have a tendency to listen to my favorite songs on repeat for hours on end. Sometimes I catch myself thinking in a language other than English. 
Not gonna lie, reverse culture shock is kind of harsher. When you go to study abroad, at least you know you’ll be back home eventually. But the reverse culture shock is worse, it’s like you were enjoying the most wonderful dream ever and all of sudden its been ripped out from under you and you don’t know how to get it back. Sigh :)
I can imagine it must be weird going back after a whole year. Good luck with everything! Are you planning on going back to China any time soon? Or will you focus on the US now?
I’m not sure yet. I’m definitely open to either option; it all depends what kind of job I manage to land once I get my degree!
Gah reverse cultural shock… I’m sure you’ll be fine as long as you don’t think about it too much and put too much stress on the issue. It will be fine :) And oh Jane Eyre… I had to tutor my sister how to write AS Eng lit essays on it last year, and once again with my student this year, and I’ve *STILL* never read it. Tried to. But… it’s just not my cup of tea. Trying to tackle Ayn Rand instead. Oh btw – what sites do you freelance write for?
I write for Pink Pangea and have started looking into writing for USA Today College and Technorati.
Good luck on your internship applications! I’m sure you’ll land something fantastic for the fall. :)