I don't feel like a tourist...

I've been blogging much less than I usually do when abroad, and I've realized why... I don't feel like a tourist. This is not some week-long vacation or study abroad trip, I'm living as a "grown-up".  I work 40 hours a week... After work I come home, make dinner, communicate with loved ones, watch television series on my computer, read, browse wedding ideas, etc. While I've enjoyed going out and exploring Hong Kong, I'm surround by colleagues who have been living here for years, and, as a result, I too feel like I live here.  During my other trips abroad I was staying in hotels or with host families. I was visiting. This time, while still technically visiting, I'm going grocery shopping, doing laundry, buying my own toilet paper, and taking out my own garbage. I am, by the standards of everyday life, "living" here. While it may not feel quite like a vacation, my time here has given me a realistic glimpse into Erik and my future life abroad, and it's good. No matter where you are, toilet paper rolls empty, the garbage must be taken out, and clothes need to be washed. These simple chores that come with  "living" someplace rather than just "visiting" provide me with a small sense of home, even on the other side of the world.