What a Difference a Year Makes

Earlier this week, on May 17 I think, it was the first anniversary of my departure from Marshall and the Democrat-News. To call it an anniversary makes it sound like something celebrated, which is not the case. Rather, I just find it interesting to see how much has changed in just 365, or a few more, days.

In my own life, certainly, things are quite different. I am now living in a city of 8 million people, not a town of 12,000, and it is one where many people don't speak my language. I no longer drive a car every day, but take public buses and subways all the time. My tiny apartment, which is probably a quarter of the size of my former rental house on Arrow Street, is more than double the price per month.

Professionally, of course, I am doing very different things as well. I am glad to still be working with words and the English language, but teaching and managing a whole classroom of kids is quite a separate skill set than reporting. I have also done a bit of freelancing for an educational publishing company, yet another learning experience.

And, it is not just my own life that is so different. Unsurprisingly, life at home has continued despite my absence. Marshall has a new mayor; the state of Missouri is being redistricted; Osama bin Laden is dead; etc., etc. It is a strange sensation to watch events from afar. I do keep up with the news at home, at least to an extent, but they feel somewhat harder to relate to when Brian Williams doesn't tell me about them.

A year ago, before I came to Hong Kong, I assumed that at the end of May, which is the end of my teaching contract, I would return home. Instead, I have found another job in Hong Kong and plan to remain for another year. I will be working at Sylvan Learning Center, teaching one-on-one lessons in reading and writing to schoolchildren of all ages.

And at this point, I can't imagine what will happen after that.