It’s T-14 days until I leave Shanghai and mild panic has set in.

After a fantastic weekend enjoying my last Shanghairugby tournament at Shanghai Rugby Football Club, the reality of all the practical things that I have to get done is looming large. It would be ok if I just had to do the practical things, but I also have to fit in doing all the “lasts” that keep coming up: my last touch rugby session (tonight), my last rugby tournament (the weekend), my last afternoon tea, my last shop at the fake market, my last massage (say it’s not so), my last shop for antiques and souvenirs (do I really need them?), and goodbyes that I’m refusing to think about.

When I look around my room now I just see extraneous stuff that doesn’t fit into any of my three categories: ditch, ship, post. I start sorting through things and am overcome by the sheer amount of taxi receipts, loose change (Chinese, Hong Kong, British) and business cards that I’ve accumulated. They must multiply of their own accord. I’m then distracted by 101 queries in my head, such as ‘How are my friend and I going to get my 8ft house plant round to her house on her scooter?’, ‘Is the post office going to unpack every item I box up before allowing me to send it to the UK as they usually do with everything else?’ and ‘How many more times in my life am I going to buy and discard an Ikea shelving unit?’.

Continue reading at Expat Telegraph here.