It’s very difficult getting used to commanding a group of kindergarteners for my basketball coaching job. It makes it especially more difficult that they can’t speak English very well, and it is for 1.5 hours per coaching session. I’m not inherently a commanding, authoritative speaker. Far from it. That being said, I have had great feedback as an assistant coach from my boss. What else is difficult in China? Well, I terribly miss my parents, my family and my other friends. Not to mention some of my favorite stores such as Whole Foods, Fruitful Yield and Chipotle.

At my old age, I’m not sure I’ll ever get married. It’s not a complaint – It’s just a possibility that I know exists. Still, I want to improve my ugly dating life. For me, it’s more about simply allowing my natural feelings to come out. If I feel attracted to a woman, which happens a lot in China, sometimes I try and stifle or redirect those feelings, rather than letting them out naturally. Love is natural. I need to “let it flow” more, even if it isn’t necessarily romantic love. This begins by surrounding myself with friends, and it concludes with the life-giving, incredibly natural, definitely essential, very human words, “I love you”.

I’m very glad I came to China. I think that living in another country/culture really opens up your mind to how people live. There are difficulties and adventures both ahead and behind. I just need to take a deep breath and learn to embrace this beautiful gift called life.