Endless Conversation

I've just gotten to NYC from the Williams reunion. It has been an overwhelming
week of excellent conversations. I feel like in many ways its been a nonstop
conversation about China, and me, and politics, but mostly Williams in all its
forms. But there's just been so many. I went to the class of '71's political
discussion which was very enlightening, and then expected to sit in the coffee
shop and chill for a while, but Matt Allen sat down and we talked about
philosophy and the environment and politics for a while. It was time to go to
NY then so I had to say goodbye, and I got to the bus station and immediately
started having a long and in depth conversation with Diana Jaffe about
everything, interrupted only by a short nap on the 5 hour ride to the city.
But we kept talking and then talked with her parents for a while until it was
time for bed. That means I've been conversing for the last 12 hours straight
with only minimal interruption.

What does that even mean? People talk about the age of technology which means
time is shortened and there is no time for real communication anymore, and yet
I have days like this when there are so many interesting people to talk to that
I see in person that I don't even have time to read the news, much less the
books I'd like to get to.

It's really wonderful, and I know that China is going to be quite the shock in
some ways, because the language barrier is going to make it harder to really
communicate the way I like to, and I'll maybe resort more to writing thoughts
down. But I feel the people in the program, both Americans and Chinese are
going to have amazing things that we all want to talk about, and we'll just
have to see where it goes.

I'm nervous, in a healthy and vivacious sort of way, and mostly just excited.
Worried that I might explode because the pace of my life has been at what feels
like full speed for so long, but I really feel like now is the time to keep the
pedal down and really see what this engine can do.