China at my Fingertips

Looking into my traveling bag, I see maybe 5 items of clothing. That's both tops and bottoms. No shoes because I'm wearing the one pair on my feet. Safely tucked away in the back pouch is the little notebook for my Chinese Language class, Gone with the Wind, my passport, and of course, my thin MacBook Air to let my loved ones know I'm safe. Not including cash, these were all the items I needed for the 4 days I will be away from Shanghai. Very few things are essential when you feel as if you've got the world at your fingertips, and that's essentially the summary of my study abroad experience with CIEE. While I left ECNU feeling as if I've learned more about the world than any other 6 month period, I also had the freedom to drop everything and just explore the country every single weekend. Coming back to the States inevitably meant leaving behind that soulful lifestyle due to the demands of both the present and the future, but I find myself constantly sneaking in the little bits of adventure. Instead of feeling the longing desire to enroll in CIEE for the rest of my life, the experience has taught me how to create that soulful lifestyle wherever I'm at.