Getting Out of the Bubble

Last week I had some time off work and I knew that I needed to make the most of it by going somewhere . The only problem was that I was the only one with this holiday, I was going to have to go solo. The best way to describe how I felt about going it alone was nervous, I'd never travelled alone before and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I'm an extrovert, I thrive on the company and conversation of others and when that's not available I will often resort to talking to either myself or inanimate objects. Possibly not the best candidate for solo travel? But getting out of your comfort zone (dare I say bubble?) is part of travel and it's not always possible to travel with someone else - although I'd still say it is always preferable. So with determination I set out to experience the joys and trials of solo travel  in Chengdu, a not-so-brave choice as it's actually a city that I've already been to once before. Dragon standing guard at the Green R

Last week marked the end of an era for my time in China. It marked the completion of a full year contract in China, and a full year teaching in a private school environment.  We ended the year with a weekend of make-up exams and graduation ceremonies; the students had an opportunity to celebrate all they had learnt over the semester and we had a chance to relax and have fun with the students outside of the classroom. The whole graduation was a relaxed way to end a manic semester and was followed by the less relaxing end to the term that we gave ourselves, a Mexican themed party and awards ceremony.  TEFL is a weird world to work in because it has an unnatural amount of endings; semesters end and people move on to different place and experiences all too quickly, you make close friends in a matter of weeks but then a few months later they're gone. It's a hazard of the community. So for us, the end of the term is bitter sweet. Although I'm staying in