5. Lost weight

The American lifestyle, in the suburbs, is so different than that of the Chinese in the city. In America, I had a very sedentary lifestyle, sitting in class, sitting in my office, sitting in my car. Additionally, I was surrounded by unhealthy food at school and work. When I came to China, I had to walk or bike everywhere and I started standing for hours every day while teaching. I was not trying to lose weight, but I did. My lifestyle here is so active and I eat very healthy. I love it.

6. Realized the importance of health

The pollution in combination with my distaste for hospitals and the Chinese regard for health has really affected me. Now my health is my top priority. Sleep enough, exercise every day, and eat vegetables – that's now my mantra!

7. Feel more confident

Having people stare at you and ask to take pictures with you really boosts your confidence, in my opinion. Also, as a teacher, a lot of my students look up to me, which makes me feel more confident.

8. Better understanding of "family duty"

American families are very different from Chinese families. With my American family, I always felt like an imposition, but I never ever felt unwelcome with my Chinese family. Just spending time with them and listening to my students talk about the importance of family made me realize what "family duty" means.

9. Learned to enjoy the "high" life

In America, things are much more expensive and I had a lot of student loans. I pinched every penny all the time. Now, I have paid off my student loans so I don't have financial obligations. I'm only working one job so I have a lot of free time, and I get a really good salary considering the cost of living in China. For all these reasons, I have learned to enjoy myself a little more and spend a little more.

Источник: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2014-05/06/content_17484932.htm