Coming Home

Well I've been home for over a month now, and I decided it was time to follow up with my final blog post.  The trip back to the U.S. was relatively painless.  There were no flight issues this time around, and I had no trouble making my connection in Chicago.  I remember getting on the airplane leaving Beijing and seeing chopsticks next to the plastic fork and knife.  I really had to think for a minute about which ones I would use.  I ended up opting for my American utensils based on the food served.  I wondered how long it would take me to get used to the dramatic cultural change of being back.  Little things like driving a car versus taking the subway daily did feel strange at first, but it didn't take long for me to get back into my normal routine.  After getting back to Fayetteville and locating a new apartment, I was finally able to settle in and get the semester started.  It was really a chaotic time with so much going on.  I would love to say things are peaceful now, but the life of an MBA candidate is never stress free.  It feels great to be see my friends and family again though.  Classes are going great as well.  I am eternally grateful to the University of Arkansas for having such a wonderful program in place which enabled me to intern in China this summer.  Without their generous assistance with travel and living expenses, my experience may not have been possible.  I feel that my time in Beijing has fundamentally changed me for the better.  I have a new perspective on many things, and I will carry that with me forever.  I also wanted to thank everyone who has followed my blog over the summer.  Blogger provides me some interesting data such as the number of site visits from people in various countries.  I was surprised and happy to see just how many people have viewed my blog from all over the world.  Thanks for reading!  I hope some of what I have written has been insightful and you will consider visiting China in the future.  I highly recommend it.  Also, for anyone looking at schools for an MBA or undergraduate degree, I hope my experience has given you a peak at some of the unique programs the University of Arkansas has in place.