After the alumni reunion, a couple of us decided to travel to Shenzhen as it’s closer to campus than some parts of Hong Kong. I walked around a shopping plaza area for a few hours and did some shopping and people watching. While my time in Shenzhen today was brief and not exactly packed with activity, I felt extremely fulfilled nevertheless. The simplified Chinese characters used on advertisements and the Mandarin Chinese spoken there made me feel at home. I remember the sadness I felt when I left Beijing to start my Sophomore year, and for many years I failed to understand exactly what it was that made me so sad to leave. But today, I think I’m a little closer to my answer. Home is not a place, it’s a feeling, and I was able to spend today feeling “home.” Wherever my life takes me, I hope that serendipity will allow me to continue experiencing many adventures and many homes.
