Thoughts You Have Going Home After Living in China

There are so many different thoughts going through your head when you are back home after living in China.

"Oh great, another stupid() question about China."

"Everybody understands me all the time!"

"I miss driving soooooooo much"

"Why do most American cities not have a developed subway systems?"

"Things might actually be safer in Beijing."

"I need to buy something and I know exactly where to buy it. Imagine that."

"These imported goods(进口商品) are so cheap…oh wait."

"I am going to buy all the cheese(奶酪) in this grocery store."

"I can’t have a side conversation in Chinese"

"No one understands my Chinglish when I say 外国人, 麻烦, 走吧, 这么。。"

"Why is it so quiet?"

"Is that a toilet with toilet paper? NICE!"

"The bar closes at 1:30? WHAT?"

"Ugh, I have to tip servers at restaurants."

"Oh my gosh(天啊), the sky is blue everyday."

"Heck no, I don’t want Panda Express."

"Where can I get some chuar(串儿)?"

"Or some dumplings, sichuan or yunnan food".

"Or some baijiu. KIDDING"

"Wait…so it’s definitely fog not smog.

"Wow, nothing has changed."

"Oh yeah.. Religion(宗教) …that’s still a thing."

Kristen Carusos is from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a major in International Affairs and a minor in French. She studied abroad in China for the first time in Shanghai in 2010 and again in 2011 at Beijing Language and Culture University. She graduated and moved to Beijing in 2012 and has been studying Chinese since then. She works in the Marketing Department at the Sinology Institute.