Uncertain Future

In reality, I was worried about this big trip and I didn’t know what my future would be. First, I had the strangest dream. I was in a big house surrounded by woods on a slope. I was in the backyard of the house, holding a little child and I didn’t know whose child it was. Then I felt someone chasing me and I ran into the house and out to the front of the house. There was a small river with a little boat and a few people who I did not know, but they seemed like they were my friends. So, I went into the boat and they helped me escape. From the river, we crossed a huge ocean. It was vast and endless. Then I saw a tiny spot far away; I was so excited and said, “that must be China.” We got close, I could see that there was no shore, only a big cliff. I looked up; the cliff was so high and our little boat was so small. There was no way for us to climb up. I woke up and the dream was still so real and so clear. It scared me.
     I did not have any other way to know my future so I went to a fortuneteller with one of my cousins. It was the first time I went to a fortuneteller. I told him when I was born and at what time of day. Then with his brush pen, he started to draw a cross from up to down, from right to left, and a lot of symbols. He said that my best place to be was the northeast and the farther the better. He said that it was not good for me to stay at my home in the southwest, and that I had to go far away. When I reached 30 years old, I would have fame and money, and would be in a noble position. He told me a lot of other things by interpreting the symbols on the paper such as my future spouse would either be older or younger. But whoever married me would be fine, and I would be a kind and noble woman. Finally, he gave me the piece of paper and said that I could keep it and time would show he was right. On the way home, my cousin and I were laughing.  She said “well, you are going far away, and to the northeast. You are on the right track to be a wealthy and noble woman.” I never believed in much of anything, but this piece of paper gave me all the courage and confidence to come to the U.S.
     I was shopping around and preparing to go to the U.S. I learned that the city was very cold in the winter. I tried to buy a long warm winter coat and boots, but I could not find these anywhere in my city. Finally, I found a man’s down winter coat but never found winter boots. I also bought a lot of new clothes, gifts, and so on. I knew that everything was expensive in the U.S. I never bought that many new things in so short a period of time and all my female friends were interested in seeing what I bought.

My cousin Guan Zhongwei was going to Manchester University and I was going to USA