Farewell Tour of Zhejiang–The Final Phase – Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker.

So I’m home now. Jet-laggy and culture shocked. I’ll write about that in a bit, but I first want to write about my last few days in Lin’an.
With just six days left after my Hangzhou bash, I had finally reached the center of my onion. I had been peeling the layers down closer and closer to home, and now I had arrived at the heart of it all.

Bazzi stayed in school so he could go to my party in Hangzhou, so the next day he took off for home. He's been my assistant this year and helped me a lot. We still chat often. — Bazzi stayed in school so he could go to my party in Hangzhou (even though he didn’t like it.) The next day he took off for home. He’s been my assistant this year and helped me a lot. We still chat often.

I had dinner with different co-workers the last few nights including Mark and Diana, and Myles. (For those of you that know Myles, let's just say he was "full blown" Myles for dinner and leave it at that.) — I had dinner with different co-workers the last few nights including Mark and Diana, and Myles. (For those of you that know Myles, let’s just say he was “full blown” Myles for dinner and leave it at that.) While I don’t see them often, they are still people that have known me for almost the whole time I’ve been here and especially this semester Mark has helped me out tremendously, which I can’t thank him enough for.

Autumn was the chinese teacher in charge of the foreign teachers when I first arrived. She gave up that job, but she's still been a good friend, and has had my back these 5 years. I'll miss her! — Autumn was the chinese teacher in charge of the foreign teachers when I first arrived. She gave up that job, but she’s still been a good friend, and has had my back these 5 years. I’ll miss her!

Then came my last little party. There is a cafe/bar in Lin’an that we have been going to for years. We call it Ping’s (after the owner) and it seemed only fitting that we had one more late night party there. So after dinner, my co-workes and I walk over. School was over and the students were gone, but several of “my babies,” are living and working in Lin’an so they were coming too.
Only, when we got to the door, it was locked and the place was dark. During the summer most shops close, but I didn’t think our beloved Ping’s would close! Luckily, like I said we are regulars and friends with everyone that works there, so we called one of them up and she came to open it just for us. We had to plug everything back in, and she actually had to go to another bar to get us drinks, but we helped cleaned up and overpaid at the end of the night, and anyway, she’s more of a friend so I hope she wasn’t too annoyed.

How many foreign teachers does it take to plug in a speaker? 3 apparently.

It was a wednesday night, and most of my students had jobs to go to the next morning, so it wasn't a crazy late night. But it was fun to see them one last time. — It was a wednesday night, and most of my students had jobs to go to the next morning, so it wasn’t a crazy late night. But it was fun to see them one last time.

You probably think that I was getting sadder and sadder as the days went by. But I’m a traveler by nature and once I pack my bags I’m ready and eager to move on. Plus, at this point I had been saying goodbye for almost a month, and I just didn’t have it in me to keep up this sustained sense of sadness. Call me cold-hearted, but I was ready to move on.

Eating my favorite dish, tudou bing. It's a fried potato thing. — My last dinner was with my 3 co-workers that I’ve spent a lot of time with this semester. We went to out favorite place that we go to on a weekly basis (the owner is so nice she cooks us special dishes not even on the menu) Since it was my last dinner I was queen for the night and got to order anything I wanted. I often complain that my friends never want to try new things and always order the same dishes, but this time I ordered all of the usuals. Lin’an food is soooo good and I miss it already. Here I am eating my favorite dish, tudou bing. It’s a fried potato thing.

And that was that. I woke up at 3am, for a ride to the airport and 24 hours later I was landing in New York City, jet-lagged and exhausted (can’t sleep on the plane.)
After five years my Lin’an adventure is officially over. It was unexpected (I came for only 6-months, not intending to make a life in china) and it has changed me forever. It is a great place. But the road is calling and a new adventure awaits.

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