China

On 20 August I dropped Ste off at Heathrow.  It was surreal: all of it.  We'd been playing crazy golf earlier that morning in Liverpool.  He had been terrified for weeks of this, and when it came to it he was remarkably calm.  None of it seemed as though it was happening.  Then he was gone.

In Heathrow. Right before he flew.

I drove back home not knowing what to expect.  He was off for almost a year (well, until June 2014) and it was going to be 12 weeks until I saw him again.  He arrived at midnight, the taxi driver having dropped him off with his suitcase, unable to find his hotel.  He had no wifi and couldn't call.  It was a bit hellish for him to say the least.

Ste has done amazingly since then.  I'm with him for many reasons, but a major one is the way I'm completely in awe of him and his maturity.  He's going to be 21 on 4 November, and has a head on his shoulders like some sensible, worldly-wise 35 year old.  He got through it all: being in a city where absolutely everything is foreign, got into his accommodation early, got his medical done, enrolled in the university, got his internet connection sorted, started classes, was put in the intermediate advanced lessons... and within weeks was asked to move to the advanced class.  He's studying Chinese at a Chinese university, for heaven's sake!  There are only Asians in that group: people who have been studying the language for years and for whom it's much closer related to their native language.  He's such a clever, talented soul.

It's official: he's all signed up!

We talk as much as we did when he was in Manchester: thank god for Skype, iMessage and FaceTime.  He's settled in so incredibly well, made a great circle of friends, and seems to be having the time of his life.  He's actually happier in many ways studying in Beijing than he ever was in Manchester.  I'm so happy about all that and I'm sure it's so so useful for his Chinese.

And now it's time for me to go out there.  The time has flown by, quicker than I thought it would.  I fly tomorrow at 3.30pm with lovely Lufthansa, via Munich.  I'm all packed, I'm restless, I'm excited, and I can't believe I'm going to be with him by Sunday lunchtime.  His Mum, brother, brother's girlfriend and his best friend Rocky are already there.  It's his birthday on Monday and we're going to the Great Wall of China.  What an amazing memory he'll have for a lifetime.  Then we've got 10 days all on our own just to be together.  On the last day it's our 18 month anniversary.  We met on Twitter of all places.

Ste, Family and Rocky. Awww!

I feel a bit dizzy writing this.  How amazing.  How fortunate we are, that I can just pop over there like this.  And there's more: 9 weeks after this trip we're meeting in Guangzhou airport and flying to Sydney together, with a side-trip to Auckland.  This is Ste, who was nervous about taking a train to Suffolk to see me.  I just said "shall we go to Australia?" and he pretty much said "Sure, meet you in some random Chinese airport I've never been to".  Again... amazing.  And in April, we'll have one more visit in China together: it's been a dream of mine to go to Japan to see the cherry blossom on my birthday.  All those airmiles I have saved up are coming in most handy!

I don't know what the point of this blog is.  There isn't a point I guess.  It's just a flood of consciousness, excitement, expectation.  18 months together and I'm like some nervous kid, with butterflies in my tummy.  I just can't wait to see him and hold him again.  I love him so much.  I have to be the luckiest guy in the universe to be his boyfriend.

So, my friends, I won't be on Twitter the next 11 days, but watch this space and I should have a lovely blog post of our adventures shortly after I get back!