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    How My Family and I Prepared for Our Move to China

    Student Blog

    01 Jun, 2021

    10 : 00

    • The preparation to leave our small town of Adelaide to come to Shanghai was testing and chaotic. We started packing boxes over 100 days before we left, and it took weeks and weeks, as we had lived in the same house for nearly 13 years. I cannot remember what I put into any of those boxes since the whole packing experience has all blended into one blurry, hectic memory. 


      However, the thing that made me stressed and scared the most about moving to Shanghai was school. That is because, in preparing to move here, I had to sit some tests to see where I was amongst my year level, and saying they were the most difficult tests I have done in my life is an understatement! I had no clue how to answer most of the questions, and it made moving here a lot more terrifying.


      The hardest thing by far about moving, however, was saying our goodbyes. My brothers were staying in Australia as they were in university, which meant that I would be an only child and the sound of that immediately made me hesitant about boarding the plane. I also had to say goodbye to my cousin, who is like a sister to me, as we spent every waking moment together. Saying goodbye caused tears to stream down my cheeks. The only thing that made moving easier was that I had some good friends moving with me.


      Moving to China has been the most incredible yet challenging thing that I have ever done, and I feel so privileged and grateful that I ended up at a school like YCIS Shanghai. Everyone I have met here has been so kind and welcoming, and no matter how hard I found leaving Australia, I would never change this experience.


      By Annie, Year 13, YCIS Pudong Secondary