There seems to be some confusion about my time in Beijing...I am not in total agony here. It is not the city of misery. Yes, it's been quite challenging, and there have been so many frustrating moments, I've lost count. Yes, it's filthy in almost every area, and carries the loudest continual level of noise I've ever been exposed to. Yes, my nerves are fried and I daydream of mountaintops with clean air. Yes, stools have been broken and I've had a cold that landed me in bed all day without the comforts of home. But there's humor in all of that. It borders on the ridiculous, in fact.

However, this doesn't mean I'm at all ungrateful for the experience. On the contrary, I deeply value the learning opportunities I've found here ( in life and in my field of Chinese medicine) and treasure seeing a part of the world that is as foreign to me as I am to it. I'm tired, yes, and the difficulties I face on a daily basis don't do much to cure that. And, yes, I miss my home and family. But this trip has been worth it. One can't forget to be grateful.