I'm moving to China.  C.H.I.N.A.

It's a very surreal feeling, and I'm not sure that it has fully set in quite yet. 

Adam, my boyfriend, tells me that everything feels like an adventure in China.  He traveled southeast Asia for three months a few years back and he said that simple tasks, such as going to the market to buy vegetables, becomes immensely more difficult.  Everywhere you turn, he says, there is another obstacle to overcome, whether it's means of travel, the language barrier, or people staring at you like you're some kind of celebrity.  He told me that the biggest adjustment was not to China, but to returning to America because in America, when you need some toothpaste, you get in your car and it's a straight shot to the store where there is an entire aisle devoted just to toothpaste.  You buy it for the price on the tag, get in your car and go home to brush your teeth.  Easy Peasy.  In China, even buying toothpaste is an adventure (more details on said adventure when I run out of the Crest I'll bring to Shanghai).

I guess that's the only expectation that I'm going with - that my reality will be turned upside down with adventures (they do walk upside down on the other side of the world, don't they?  I think I saw that in "Alice in Wonderland").  Other than that, we'll be living and working at Shanghai High School International Division.  We're not sure what grade level we'll be teaching yet, but we requested middle school (I know!).  We'll be living on campus, as most of the foreign English teachers do.  It's a beautiful 56 acre campus in the southwest of Shanghai with approximately 2,800 students (their website can be found here).  We were located at the school through the placement agency we applied with called Appalachians Abroad through Marshall University.  More information on the campus and what I think of the program (and not just their website) to come in approximately 2 1/2 months.

Right now, we're working on getting all of our documents submitted and completing the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate.  It's an eight week online course that involves reading (a LOT of reading) and posting to a discussion board.  It's pretty neat to be able to communicate with the other teachers that will be going before we go.  We'll be able to meet most of them at our orientation in the end of August.  It'll be cool to meet other folks as crazy as we are for taking this on!

Other than that, there's probably not much else going on (other than multiple good-byes and hopefully a massive get-together before we leave) until August.  I hope you'll check back to see what's up and to KEEP IN TOUCH!!!