"You're So Lucky. When You Want To Do Something, You Can Do It."

I really want my tutor, Cassie, to be able to come visit me in America after I return from the Peace Corps; she was an English major, speaks very good English, and would speak ever better English if she were able to spend even a week or two in an English speaking country. But the likelihood she's get a visa is almost non-existent. It's a sad fact we talk around when we talk about the possibility of her being able to come and visit.

I didn't realize how difficult it is for Chinese nationals to get a tourist visa to the U.S. There seem to be quite a lot of students and business owners from China living in America, but I've met half a dozen people here who have been turned down for tourist visas; they're considered a flight risk. And because she's a single girl, and I'm not returning to China with her, it's pretty likely her request would be denied.

Cassie and I were talking about the places in the world we'd both want to visit. Spain was high on both our lists. But then she said, "You're so lucky. If you want to do something, you can do it."  Even though the Chinese have a lot more freedoms than they had just a few years ago, I still take for granted the mobility I have as an American citizen. I'm going to be more sensitive to that in our future conversations.