The Ending

I had a lot of friends at Tsinghua University and sadly most of them are leaving. I have met Germans, Dutch, Japanese, and American students from all over the world who encompass different and unique backgrounds. I am so fortunate to have studied in Tsinghua University.

Now many people at Tsinghua are leaving. The canteens are empty and sore, the aura of friendliness and restlessness seem to have dwindled. Now, many people have flown the coop and are traveling to venture home for a month, until the next semester arrives in late February. One of my closest friends recently left and the good bye was heart wrenching.

Going abroad in a whole completely different cultural and environment is wary and daunting, however, it makes it less scary once I found a few communities to be part of. I took advantage of group chats and made efforts to become part of asocial life at Tsinghua. Now that it is fleeting, the deep instinctual feeling of wanting a communized blossomed right outside of my local canteen, Qin Feng.

I have been in China for a very long time, verging in on almost a year abroad. Beijing has taught me to toughen up, learn from my mistakes, keeping records of money, learning when to actually visit a hospital for my own safety, look and search for myself on a street of chaos, and strive towards independence. Starting from the beginning in April, finding friends who really matter can make a whole experience unforgettable.

Out of all the challenges in China, falling into the lives of others was devastating, because of departure. It’s not something you can fix by your hands or money, it’s a wound that only I could heal with time and patience.