I took this picture in Beijing Capital Airport, staring at the ceiling after a 9 am flight from Seoul, beginning a five-hour layover. I was on my way to Lanzhou in northwest China, where I now write these words. My sister said the layover would be good for me, would allow my soul to catch up with me. Her advice, as ever, rang true.
I enjoyed a series of goodbye parties on my way out of Korea. I was swimming in love, swathed in affection, wading in wonder. So many hearts were born to me, from my students to my coworkers to my dear, dear friends: my extensions, my extended family. Phalanges, philosophers, philo. Love.
See you later.
And so I left my love and my longing behind, cuddle-tangled roots of friendship in a land I found myself. The departure was difficult. A combination of courage and privilege has allowed me to move once again, in my journey of discovery, as Krishnamurti says:
And to take such a journey we must travel light; we cannot be burdened with opinions, prejudices and conclusions – all that old furniture … forget all you know about yourself; forget all you have ever thought about yourself; we are going to start as if we knew nothing.
And so, fittingly, it is a New Year. The Chinese celebrate this by cleaning their doors, their floors, cleaning away what was, making themselves ready to welcome what will be. What we will be. What I will be. So I am here, in Lanzhou, staying with a friend that I met on the train in Beijing and his wonderful family. The only foreign face here is my own, yet I have never felt more welcome.
Benjamin, the amazing human in the center, has brought me into his life, his family, and his friends. Already many toasts have been made; already, birthdays celebrated!
Liggia, cutting the cake, turned 21 on Monday. She seeks to be a communications scholar: swiftly we began discussions of American versus Chinese media, smiles and jokes. If you would have told me — and if I would have remembered — on my 21st that I would be adventuring around Asia, full of conversational confections, I would have been thrilled.
So, let’s explore. Let’s wander.
I feel full of love and possibility, and I hope that you do too. Call home, go home, home, home, home: the Chinese have taught me the importance of family, and gravity of relationships: dear reader, if you are part of my immediate family, know that I love you, and wish I were with you; if you are a drop more distant than that, I wish you were here with me too. Let’s share this.
新年快乐, xīn nián kuài lè, happy new year!
The year of the rabbit: Be agile.
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