There should be a snooze button for reality

Well, I'm officially back to reality after six amazing weeks of Winter break.  I probably should have mentioned that I wouldn't be updating my blog during break, so I apologize to those of you who messaged to ask if I'm dead (I'm still very much alive, by the way).  A lot has happened in the last six weeks, so I'll try to just fill you in on the most interesting aspects.
 

In mid-January, I got to spend a week with two of my favorite people in the entire world (which I think I'm entitled to say now that I've been to the other side of the world); my dad and sister came to visit me in China!   

Dad, me, and Tracie on the Great Wall of China!

I played tour guide and took them all over Beijing; we hiked up and tobogganed down the Great Wall, toured the Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square, shopped at the Silk Market, saw a Chinese acrobatic show, ate a bunch of authentic Chinese food (including fried scorpion), had near-death experiences in taxis and on the subway, and went to the Night Market, the Beijing Botanical Gardens and the World Park!  

Tracie, me, and Erin eating fried scorpion!

It was an intense non-stop week and it was so wonderful to spend time with my dad and sister and finally be able to share the reality of my life in China with them (although we all missed mom and wished she could have come, too)!  

 When they left, homesickness hit me really hard, so it was a blessing that I immediately had to prepare for my trip to Thailand. 

Erin, me, and Lauren on the beach at sunset

Erin, Abbey, Sam, Lauren, and I traveled to Koh Lanta, Phuket, Thailand for a desperately needed vacation!  We stayed on the beach for a week and by the end of it most of us decided that we're definitely going to retire there some day.

I'm riding an elephant!

We laid out on the beach (and got ridiculously sunburned in the process), ate way too much food, got authentic Thai massages, went paddle-boarding and snorkeling, awkwardly experienced a fish spa, saw wild monkeys, rescued starfish, rode elephants through the jungle, got tricked into eating the hottest chili pepper in existence, had fire-throwing lessons, and met some of the coolest people I've ever met from all over the world!

After our wonderful vacation we journeyed to Chiang Mai, Thailand for our Annual Thailand Conference; my organization brought all of the teachers and their families, around 500 people, from all over Asia to meet together for one week in Thailand.  The conference was a time for us to fellowship with other Believers, see and hear about the work Father's doing all throughout Asia (I can't wait to share this with you when I get home!!), learn about potential countries of service, and to receive encouragement, support, counseling, and Thoughts for the struggles of our past semesters.  It was exactly what I needed for rejuvenation and preparation for this next semester- I've gained so much motivation and perspective for the next 4.5 months of my service in China!

I'm now back in Taiyuan and am getting really excited to see my students again on Monday!  I've missed those kids during the last six weeks; I'm so unbelievably grateful that I have the opportunity to be a part of their lives and I can't wait to see how Father uses the next 4.5 months to touch their lives and the lives of my co-teachers!