The Pre-Beginning

Like most journeys, this one starts with packing. Okay, technically, it began with a long process of attempting to answer the question of "What are you doing this summer?" with a bunch of options and a chronic case of indecision. How I got to where I got is a rather long-winded story involving calculations of language, length of stay, number of places I wanted to visit, and enough other variables to baffle the most adept math whiz. But to cut to the chase, I am heading off to Beijing, China in five days and I will be there until mid-December studying Mandarin Chinese intensively for summer and fall terms at Capital University of Economics and Business (首都经济贸易大学). So for now, I am getting a last glimpse of home, family and friends, and trying to figure out what to pack (as in, not too much...need to leave space for buying stuff there)!