Goodbye, suitcase.

Tonight, I put my last article of clothing in a drawer and put the suitcases out of sight! Whew. Praise. Thank you for allowing me some time to get settled. Here are a few nuggets from the past few days:

Walmart

That's right, the one and only. In true American fashion, the morning after we landed our team piled in the van and did our part in stimulating the Chinese economy. Included in the small mountain in my buggy was an electric kettle (very useful), cleaner (even more useful...I'll spare you details), and peanut butter (it's the small things, ya know?).

Metro

Yes, I put another store in bold letters, but only because this is where I got my coffee maker (you just try drinking instant coffee for a month). I also got some popcorn and paper towels, in case you're interested.

Basketball

Among my few comfort purchases were some basketball shoes (yes, they had my size!). I've put them to good use already and have met some really cool students in the process. I'm so excited to develop those friendships.

Home

By this I mean the feeling of being settled in your abode. It's certainly a process, but I'm making good progress. Auburn decorations are scattered around (2 days until kickoff...so pumped), so that has helped. Making this place my own is definitely a goal of mine, and it's certainly something you can lift up for me.

Team Time

The best for last. These 4 other folks are awesome. Caleb, Connie, Faith and Kelly have warmly welcomed me and made me feel at home. We've been doing team building stuff this week, and I'm really thankful for the chemistry we've developed. I feel so comfortable around them.

Well, I'll stop there for now. I'm thinking about doing a video tour of the apartment when it's more presentable, so stay tuned. I'm only teaching one class a week until mid-October (most of my students are Freshman who have to go through military training) so hopefully I'll have some more time to clue you in on life.

Thank you all for your overwhelming support and love. I can't tell you how supported I feel. Keep the correspondence coming!

P.S. Just as a teaser for later posts, there is really, really great stuff happening here... I'm definitely supposed to be here :)