12/04/05 - Many things have happened in my life since I last updated this little site of mine. Time is really flying by! It's hard to believe I'll be celebrating my third year at the Center for History and New Media in January.

This year I've spent most my time studying (Chinese classes at GMU and in Beijing), traveling (Greece, China, Australia, San Francisco), and training -- all, of course, while working full-time. I also coached two seasons (fall and spring) of Girls on the Run and taught spin (indoor cycling) for a few months, twice a week, at 6:15am(!).

In March, I went to Greece for a week (Athens and Delphi). I'd never been before, and I had a fabulous time -- the historical sites were breathtaking and the weather was splendid! (I do have pictures, but they are not yet online.) I competed in the Virginia duathlon in April and snagged a slot for the world championships in Newcastle, Australia in September. The triathlons I did this year: Columbia, Charlottesville Sprint, Diamond in the Rough, and Reston. Three days before I left for China (a Friday) I took the GRE and the next day I did the Diamond in the Rough Tri. Sunday I packed and Monday I flew all day. April-June of this year went by really fast...

I spent the summer in Beijing, China at Beijing Language and Culture University. The Center was incredibly supportive and although I had to take leave without pay, they let me leave for nearly two months. I took intensive language classes (five days a week plus a tutor) and lived on my own near the university at an international student center. The experience was invaluable, even if at times it was frustrating. There are certain things you only learn when you actually live somewhere. Despite all this, I really enjoyed my time there and my classes and classmates were fantastic -- I can't wait to go back for more language study (perhaps next summer?). There is way too much to type here, but I did keep a journal and have mentally noted many of the experiences. Things in Beijing and in China as a whole are so different from life here that it's hard to summarize. I did, however, put most of my pictures from this summer online in my flickr account.

Upon my return home at the end of August (Friday), the semester started (Monday) and I began the class I'm still taking for reading skills development in Chinese. There are only six other people in the class, the perfect teacher-student ratio for almost any language class. I also decided to audit modern Chinese history (undergrad) read the books for this and another undergrad history class on women and family in China. It was a smart move - I have spent a lot of time reading about twentieth century Chinese women and it has only increased my interest in the subject.

Of course, I still did the Reston Tri in September and traveled half way around the world again (twice in less than a month really zapped my body!) to Australia. I spent almost three days in Sydney visiting a friend of mine I met in Beijing before heading up to Newcastle for duathlon worlds. The race itself was OK, although my right leg cramped a bit on the second run. Needless to say, I still finished -- no awards, but hey, this is WORLD competition!

October and November were big months. Continuing to work and study full-time, I also managed to squeeze in the Marine Corps marathon at the end of the month. I had been doing interval training and long runs on a scheduled basis for two months (some in China on a treadmill) and I ended up qualifying for the Boston marathon this coming April. A few days later, I flew out to San Francisco to visit several graduate schools. As most people probably know, I'm applying to doctoral programs in Chinese history for fall 2006. Although I'm considering two schools on this side of the country, the majority of programs for the topics and research I'm interested in (cultural and social history, gender studies) are located on the other side of the country. I don't know where I'll end up yet, and I probably won't know for a while.

Currently, I'm filling out graduate school applications and winding down my semester with finals. Work is still busy and we have more projects than I've seen in the time I've worked here. The Center has grown very fast in the last two years! I'm hoping to be able to relax during the week after Christmas (when GMU employees receive holiday leave). In the meantime, drop me a line if I haven't heard from you in a while. If you've read all this, pat yourself on the back because you deserve some kind of award! :)