Starting Life in Beijing

I came to Beijing as a tourist to spend time with my husband and his family as well as give his family a Chinese wedding reception they could attend. Due to work projects and other reasons, we will be living in Beijing for the next year or so.

I look at the life we will be living and I'm nervous, yet super excited at the same time. I'll be living in the foreign country that also is the first stamp in my passport. I really don't know much Chinese other than, 我吃饱了 (wǒ chībǎole, I am full) and 你好 (nǐhǎo, How are you?) I'm slowly learning Chinese using a combination of education software, asking my husband, listening to 妈妈 (māma, my husband's mother) and 爸爸 (bàba, my husband's father), and using my iPad to translate.

The positive aspects of living in Beijing outweigh the negative aspects, but I have to still consciously look at the next year as an adventure. One day I'll be able to feel like I'm not shaking in my boots about living in Beijing. Such a big change for this small town Western girl, but she can do it!