The hectic preparations for an adventure in China

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  Wrangell, Alaska
Tuesday, August 17, 2010

At the beginning of the month, my parents sat me down, thoroughly freaking me out in the process. They laid before me the idea for a trip that I knew could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My grandmother would be traveling with me to eastern China (for her fourth time). This wouldn't be the first time she took one of her grandchildren, but I had no idea that I would ever have a chance to accompany her on an international trip. In mid-summer, I would accept in a heartbeat, but towards the end of summer, I had to conscider the concequences: I would be missing the first month of school. 
I thought about my decisions-I wasn't sure what I should do. I would have to work hard to get my schoolwork in time to get ready to go to China. I wouldn't be ale to take a few of the classes I wanted to. I would be working to catch up on my school work when I get back. I thought about the decision for a few days and consulted my family to see what they thought about it. They all agreed that I should go-after all, 20 years from now, will I wish I had gone to China or will I wish I hadn't missed the first month of school? And so, I made my decision.
Signs of the upcoming trip loomed over me constantly, despite the fact that I was still unable to convince myself that the journey would actually happen. My grandmother was constantly coming over or having me go to her house in order to discuss travel plans, what to expect in terms of expenses, living accommodations, food and the environment in general. She showed me pictures from the last time we went, explained our route to, from and within China and helped me to understand what I would need to acquire for the trip.
For the following weeks, there was a never-ending flood of preparations-visa applications, airplane tickets, hotel arrangements, just to name a few. With the help of my dad, I found a respectable digital camera online. I put my work money to good use shortly afterwards by purchasing my ticket and preparing for international shopping. And so, here I sit, bags half packed, awaiting the night two days from now when I will leave Alaska and begin my adventure.

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