It's been nearly a decade since the last post. But I thought it was time for an update, as today marks the 21st year of this weblog's existence. That seems crazy, especially considering I was 21 when I first stepped onto the Mainland and breathed my first lungful of fresh Beijing smog. Oh, to have young, healthy lungs again.

Perusing through the blog, I noticed that despite 21 additional years of life, my grammar, spelling, and overall language and writing skills have not improved. They may have even regressed. So, don't expect a sudden improvement in this post. But thank goodness AI exists; otherwise, I might not have a job, given the amount of writing I have to do for it. I also noticed I was fortunate to go study, live, and work in China when I did. Doing so today would not yield the same experience. It was fascinating to witness a country building momentum in its process of modernity to now technologically surpassing the U.S.. While traveling to China can still be fun and exciting, I don't think the experience holds the feeling of the "Wild Wild East" that it once did. It feels more like traveling into the future, instead of a place where dysentery is a real, everyday risk, akin to the Oregon Trail.

Also, even though my blog posts might not have reflected it, the experience had a profound and lasting impact on me. When I first decided to learn Mandarin at Middlebury, I thought it would simply help me get a job in the future, but I never guessed the impact the experience would have on my entire life; an impact that may see reverberations for generations to come. Here are a few ways my Mandarin/China journey has influenced my life:

• My current wife and I met and studied Mandarin together at Middlebury and in Hangzhou. (I have only been married once, and plan to deal with this experiment in patience only one time ever again).
• I discovered my career in real estate while living in China, thanks to Golze.
• My China experience was probably why I was accepted into b-school.
• I am 90% certain that I got my current job because of my background in China.
• My children are now learning Mandarin, and I expect my eldest's Mandarin to surpass mine within a few years.

Anyway, I wish I had something more enlightening or thoughtful to say, but maybe there will be an update in another 21 years. I wouldn’t wait around though.