As I write this I’m on a train from Carlisle to London. Fog at Heathrow permitting, in 24 hours I’ll be in Xi’an in China, where it’s just after 4pm. So here begins a great adventure to an area I’ve never been but always wanted to go to. I’m not sure what I’m feeling right now; but it’s some mix of excited, nervous, happy and tired, with a few more adjectives thrown in for good measure.
I’m excited to be going to a new place and exploring the culture, and of course to finally start teaching two months after I finished my CELTA, although I’m nervous that in that time I’ll have forgotten a lot of what I learnt. I’m also nervous about how I’ll adapt to such a different environment and a little worried about the fog at Heathrow delaying my flight and messing up my 2h 25m change in Beijing. I’m happy to finally be getting on with living my life rather than just existing in London, as I was doing working in an underpaid temporary job. But most of all I’m tired after not sleeping last night in nervous excitement. So I’m going to get a very mediocre Virgin Trains coffee.