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...