Strolling Down Memory Lane

A year ago, I boarded a plane to begin a crazy adventure in China.  I knew at the time that it would be weird and whacky and wonderful, and that I would be forever changed.  I just had no idea at the time just how much changing there would be!  As I prepare now to move on to another crazy adventure, I am reminded of my early days in Nanjing…I look at pictures, and I am taken back...

It began with 6 coworkers.  Plus 2 wives.  Plus 1 little Jack.  All of us took on this assignment without so much as a friend in town.  We six employees met each other for a few lunches beforehand, and some knew each other from past assignments, but for the most part, we were just coworkers.  During the course of those early days in Nanjing, that changed.  Instead of just coworkers, we became friends.  Well, we became more than that… we became a family.

It began with a weekly lunch – a chance to get out of the office and eat normal food, catch up on each other’s work lives, and break free for an hour a week.  From there, we added Saturday evenings.  We explored new restaurants and bars – some winners, and some, well, not quite up to par. 

We shared our stories – from the drivers, to the real estate dramas (OUT!!!), to the random street encounters.  We shared shopping tips, local interactions, and news about who was coming and who was leaving.  We found steak and pizza, and savored it as often as we could.  We shared our precious “American supplies” with each other (I will never forget Angie’s generous deodorant donation when my container was late to arrive), and went on an all-out quest for Doritos and donuts, soup and jam. 

We leaned on each other and laughed with each other, and those Saturday nights became a means of survival.

Gradually, we spread our wings, met new friends, traveled to new places, and expanded our circles, but we always came back to our family for the important times.  We celebrated birthdays, promotions, and holidays together. 

We made it rain fireworks on July 4, and we feasted on turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving.  We had costume contests for Halloween and watched dragon boats on the lake in June. 

We sang karaoke.  We hung pictures and bought furniture and eyeglasses together.  We explored Nanjing and beyond together, with video proof in some cases!  We swapped rides and floated each other cash.  We organized activities and kept each other entertained and sane on those “China Days”.

We watched little Jack go from teetering and babbling, to running freely and talking in two languages; no longer a baby, but a true toddler.

We welcomed and entertained our natural-born family members from America, and we ensured their introduction and bond with our family in Nanjing.  We showed we were not just survivors, we were thrivers.  They gained comfort in the knowledge we were not alone…we had a family to rely on right here.

We shared secrets and tears, laughter and pain. 

We celebrated LIFE.

In February, we said our first goodbye when Ky flew the nest and moved back to America and an amazing new opportunity. Shortly, Golon will move to Thailand in conjunction with a fabulous promotion.   And for me, as I prepare to say my own farewell to Nanjing to being my new adventure in Shanghai, I can’t help but think back to those first Saturday nights and that group of 8 wide-eyed adults that arrived last spring.  And I smile when I think about just how far we’ve come…and how much better my life in China has been because of them.

So, to Angie, Pete, Gordon, Carol (the other Diva!), Golon, Matt, and Ky, I raise a glass and thank you for embracing me into your lives!  Nanjing would never have been the same without you!