Greetings! Once again I find that it has been far too long since I've posted any updates, but I have been quite busy! The biggest recent event is that my long-in-the-works trip to China has actually come to pass. My friend (and co-worker) Laura and I travelled to Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Shanghai and Hong Kong and returned just this past Wednesday. We had a fantastic time visiting these amazing cities and particularly enjoyed hiking on the Great Wall, standing in the vastness of Tianamen Square and visiting the famed Terracotta Soldiers. We also had several memorable cultural experiences. The ham in me loved the many requests for pictures that the locals would make of Laura and I, both of whom are light-eyed westerners. The less-charming experiences I also secretly loved included the all-to-common pushiness, life-threatening driving and spitting of Chinese life. I definitely feel even more lucky to live in America after having visited this country. The government owns all of the land in China and many families share very tight quarters among many generations. One of our tour guides lived in 217 square feet, including a bathroom and kitchen, with 3 of his other family members. That's a very brief summary, but overall we had an incredible journey!
In other news, I was promoted to Senior Accountant! My role will remain the same, but my responsibilities will continue to grow as I join additional teams within the department. This is an exciting step for me, as I have been gunning for this promotion for quite some time.
Here's a picture of me at the Great Wall to get the photo-sharing started.
