So I’m in Manila International airport watching the clock tick as my flight to Shanghai nears. After a 12 hour flight and basically skipping June 20th (still don’t quite understand that), I’m in Asia…feeling as foreign as I ever have.

As I left San Francisco after spending the weekend with my family celebrating my sister’s graduation from business school, I couldn’t help but think about the future. As I accompanied my sister to luncheons and dinners with her friends, all I heard was constant banter about their futures and upcoming jobs in finance or consulting or upcoming lavished vacations. This got me thinking about my future and where I would like my education and experiences to take me.

As these overwhelming thoughts consumed me, everyone also kept asking me about what  I would be doing in China. As I told them, they all raved about my upcoming experience, calling it a “once in a lifetime opportunity” or “one of a kind”. And I smiled, knowing that what is to come really is a unique experience.

Though I came to no conclusions about my future (graduation is still too far away, I have plenty of time to think about that), I hope that this upcoming experience in China will help shape and guide my future goals and endeavors. But for now, I plan to continue living in the moment and taking in every piece of Asia I can, starting with Manila’s airport.

See you in China!

Miryam