going on an adventure... from my adventure

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain

For me the time has come for the most coveted thing by Army personnel in these parts: R&R leave. I am going to have the time of my life (or at least my year). And yet, I'm not going home... Driver isn't coming with me... So what could be so exciting?

I'm going to China. Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Dragonette, water (and lots of it!), ancestor worship, and green tea ice cream. Need I say more?

So many of my comrades are going home. Some have children, some are married. Myself? I don't have either, so why bother? Yes, I miss my family. I haven't seen my immediate family and coworkers since September, my baby cousins since July. But I will see them once I get home. Going home for leave is easy. Going to a foreign country is much more difficult in regards to the legwork, the research, the paperwork, and the emotional factor of those near and dear to me, but in the long run it will be more rewarding. Besides, a free plane ticket to just about anywhere in the world? Sign me up!

I need an adventure from my adventure anyways.