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1. The local and expat people I've started to become good friends with here
2. Accessibility of produce, library, walking area all by biking or walking
3. Being able to just wear a jacket in late November
4. Living as a local in a major tourist city (biking past huge tourist groups on my way home along the West Lake)
5. Being able to care for families with young children and the orphans at the province hospital.
6. Eating at the Muslim noodle shop with Daniel and Declan; ordering our usual lamb rice and beef noodle soup
7. Walking through the bamboo forest corridor in the early morning fog
What I will NOT miss about living in Hangzhou
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1. Constant cigarette smoke around Declan everywhere we go
2. Nonstop staring and Declan being grabbed / unsolicited crazy parenting "advice"
3. Products of questionable quality / Not knowing any ingredients or source of our produce
4. Dusty, polluted air and angry car/bus horns at all hours
5. Not able to let Declan run around on grass because people spit and children defecate everywhere in public.
6. Waiting for Daniel to finish his 3.5 year long contract in a job that he dislikes / waiting for us to leave so I can have our next kid in a cleaner place without separating our family
7. Banned internet sites and censored news / China's propaganda and censorship branch that crashes our VPN even when I search for something innocuous like "cultural studies."
8. Having such a tiny bathroom that a) Declan is absolutely not allowed to go in i.e. making bathroom/laundry time for Daniel or me when we're alone with him a bit difficult, b) a faint trace of urine from the diaper bag and wastebasket pervades our living room, and c) I try to shower as little as possible because it consists of standing in a shallow pan between the toilet and the washing machine and trying my best not to get the toilet seat/floor too wet.
What I plan to start doing immediately upon resettling in the U.S.
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1. Make almond milk from scratch
2. Prepare food from small farms and organic/grass-fed/pasture-raised sources (craving beef stew and roasted root vegetables)
3. Take Declan bike-riding with helmets for both of us around clean air
4. Join a Pilates, spinning, and Krav Maga class.
5. Start translating and editing for my freelance jobs in earnest
6. Start putting together my PhD application
7. Find trustworthy childcare to accomplish #4, #5, and #6
8. Stay informed on daily news around the world and especially Asia with reliable and unrestricted Internet
9. Check out lots of children's books from the public library every week and take Declan to storytimes; Use the public library extensively for my own reading purposes as well.
10. Make fun of Tea Party-ers.
11. Get the Free Friday book every week for my Nook (after I've resolved all problems with it caused by international copyright issues)
It's clear that if I were childless, China would be tolerable. But parenthood changes one's priorities in an indescribably deep way. These lists will be continually updated as more things cross my mind.
Things I need to do before we leave
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1. Make a list of things to give away; distribute on forums/to our friends
2. Give away things
3. Pack up boxes
4. Ship boxes via China Post
5. Pack up luggages
6. Plan timeline for the last few days (leave early and tour Shanghai for four days?)
7. Finish translating for local factory
8. Sign agreement and start translating for seeJesus.net
9. Say bye to friends
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