12 Days til China

by Ruth

12 days til China and I am excited
to stand in front of a classroom,
to invite students over to our apartment,
to see a new part of the country.

12 days til China and I am uncertain:
what will we teach?
when will our classes start?
how will we get to the school?

12 days til China and I am nervous,
remembering the exhaustion of every day activities,
remembering the smell of sewage,
remembering that I don't really speak Chinese.

12 days til China and I am eager
to see how our team fits together,
to put away our suitcases,
to buy another bike.

12 days til China and I am hesitant
about yet another round of goodbyes,
no more fresh milk,
staring eyes and hazy skies.

12 days til China and I am glad
that we have a nice apartment,
that we can walk to the countryside,
that I won't be going alone.