Sunday Morning

Sunday morning and rain is falling in Changzhou.

Two and a half years ago I was living 6,400 miles away from home. I had been in China for about 3 weeks at this point. The fear had mostly subsided and I was getting settled into my new life. 

outside my 6th story bedroom window 

Early one Sunday morning, I was sitting on my bed (which let's be honest, my "bed" was nothing more than a slab of fabric covered wood and a top sheet) but I remember going over to the window and pulling up the blinds. The sky was grey with heavy clouds rolling through and suddenly it started to rain. I pulled out my phone and turned on the only song that felt appropriate; Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. 

I can't quite put into words what I felt during this moment, but it's a moment I will never forget. I looked out the window for what felt like hours. Time seemed to stand still as I began to realize just how surreal this whole experience was. I remember closing my eyes and thinking "I'm in China. I'm actually in China." It was the most sincere and eye-opening moment I had the entire time I was there. That was the moment I began to fully embrace the culture and China became home. 

Now every time I hear Sunday Morning my mind immediately wanders back to the run down streets of Changzhou and the smiling faces of the twenty-nine adorable second graders I had the privilege to teach. It's funny how some songs, some moments like that, just never leave you.