about half a mile from our apartment is buzzing with activity, yet at the same time, soothing and serene. Traditional arts come alive here around the small pond traversed with bridges, and you hardly even notice the looming high-rise apartment buildings surrounding this oasis. Whether it’s a three-person symphony, a painting class for children, or widely-known line dances for exercise, you can feel the spirit of Chinese culture floating through the trees and over the lily pads.
With this change of scenery from Colorado to Shenzhen, China, we have been adjusting to a different pace of life. Jim is taking a step back from the 9-5 life and freshly inspired to get back to his passion of art. My teaching job is different than any other I’ve held in my short career and I have more focus on taking in my surroundings, while enjoying every moment to its fullest. We are so grateful for all our blessings and opportunities we have here, and around the globe. Although this lifestyle may appear to be “a walk in the park”, it has not always been an easy transition for me, as I have lived with a productivity-complex for at least half of my life. I have been very goal-oriented, yet accomplished the majority of my life goals in the last 12 months. As I am soaking up my new life, deep inside I find myself searching for my next goal and finding myself a little lost without it. However, as I slow down on walks like this weekend, I am also finding pleasure in time to myself and time in our new culture. Moving forward, we remind ourselves to follow this Chinese proverb, “One step at a time is good walking” – 走路要一步一步来 and remember to stop and listen to the Chinese flute along the way, without being so concerned about where we’re headed.
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