I'm leavin' today.
I want to be a part of it...
New York, New York
Well friends - I knew this day would come eventually... As an expat it's kind of inevitable.
We are moving back to New York.
Yep, packing up our dehumidifiers, rice maker, chopsticks and milk teas and heading back to the land of bagels, lox and black people. It's surreal because the whole thing came completely out of the blue.
I'm filled with excitement, sadness, hope and nostalgia. The minute we got the news, my love of Hong Kong grew exponentially. Which is funny because I didn't even know it existed in the first place. Now I have a bucket list as long as Dwight Howard's arm for things to do/see/experience/visit before I leave Asia. And only 6 weeks to do them in because we will be back in New York before Christmas!
Before you fret about this blog disappearing (because obviously this is an integral part of your daily existence!), keep in mind that I still have six more weeks of Chinglish and swinging ahead of me. Er, writing about them, that is. Or maybe I should try some swinging before I leave - after all, this could be my last chance to end up as a salacious topic on The Forum!
I haven't lived in New York for three years, which means I'll technically be an expat when I return. Even now when I go back stores are gone, others have cropped up (there is a Trader Joe's on the UWS!) and I can't remember which stops the 4/5/6 trains make. When I left New York in 2008, Obama had just taken office, bin Laden was still alive and Kim Kardashian was dating Reggie Bush. Feels like a lifetime ago. ;)
I've been told by expat friends that the transition back home is not a seamless one, so be prepared for lots of moaning about how I miss my life in Hong Kong. Also be prepared (if you're an American) for me to say things like "air con" instead of "AC" and "quite" instead of "really." Years ago I had a friend who lived in Australia for a year and then moved back to NYC. She came back saying "mate" and a little piece of me died every time it came out of her mouth. Now, I'll be the one people are rolling their eyes at and thinking "well, isn't she high and mighty with her international vocabulary".
In summary (this post deserves some formality!), while I am moving back to New York, I will continue blogging about life as an expat. I'll just be doing it from a noodle shop in Chinatown.
I want to be a part of it...
New York, New York
Well friends - I knew this day would come eventually... As an expat it's kind of inevitable.
We are moving back to New York.
Yep, packing up our dehumidifiers, rice maker, chopsticks and milk teas and heading back to the land of bagels, lox and black people. It's surreal because the whole thing came completely out of the blue.
I'm filled with excitement, sadness, hope and nostalgia. The minute we got the news, my love of Hong Kong grew exponentially. Which is funny because I didn't even know it existed in the first place. Now I have a bucket list as long as Dwight Howard's arm for things to do/see/experience/visit before I leave Asia. And only 6 weeks to do them in because we will be back in New York before Christmas!
Before you fret about this blog disappearing (because obviously this is an integral part of your daily existence!), keep in mind that I still have six more weeks of Chinglish and swinging ahead of me. Er, writing about them, that is. Or maybe I should try some swinging before I leave - after all, this could be my last chance to end up as a salacious topic on The Forum!
I haven't lived in New York for three years, which means I'll technically be an expat when I return. Even now when I go back stores are gone, others have cropped up (there is a Trader Joe's on the UWS!) and I can't remember which stops the 4/5/6 trains make. When I left New York in 2008, Obama had just taken office, bin Laden was still alive and Kim Kardashian was dating Reggie Bush. Feels like a lifetime ago. ;)
I've been told by expat friends that the transition back home is not a seamless one, so be prepared for lots of moaning about how I miss my life in Hong Kong. Also be prepared (if you're an American) for me to say things like "air con" instead of "AC" and "quite" instead of "really." Years ago I had a friend who lived in Australia for a year and then moved back to NYC. She came back saying "mate" and a little piece of me died every time it came out of her mouth. Now, I'll be the one people are rolling their eyes at and thinking "well, isn't she high and mighty with her international vocabulary".
In summary (this post deserves some formality!), while I am moving back to New York, I will continue blogging about life as an expat. I'll just be doing it from a noodle shop in Chinatown.
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