A New Chapter

How can one write on a blog called "Life in the Middle Kingdom" from a metropolitan area in the United States? For those of you who may not be aware, "Middle Kingdom" is the direct translation of the Chinese term for China -- the Middle Kingdom of the world, the great nation whose neighbors would send emissaries to kowtow and pay honor to the Emperor and whose history goes back some five thousand years. Life in the Middle Kingdom is life in China... so for those of you who have been following my story can understand that this blog has been post-less for a year now.

And for those of you who haven't been following me, I have been in Washington DC for the past year, finishing up some coursework towards my masters degree in Asian Studies.

This, then, is the beginning of Chapter 2: The Return to the Middle Kingdom. Yes, next week I will be moving back to China. I am incredibly excited to return to the city I called home for a year, the place deep and long-lasting friendships were developed, the part of the world that has gotten into my blood and become a part of who I am.

For those of you who are interested, this blog will be the best way to keep track of me, hear about my adventures, and join me in this new Life in the Middle Kingdom.