Young at Heart... and currently young in general

I’m currently living and studying at Haerbin Institute of Technology. Before my Fulbright grant starts I wanted to improve my Chinese a bit and so I’ve been spending most of my time in classes through the CET language program. We have roughly 25-30 students 8 of which are also on Fulbrights. Besides the Fulbrights, most of the students are study abroad student from American Universities. I was reminded yesterday how unique of an experience it is for me to be grouped with college students who have a very different prospective and goal for their study here. I had dinner with four other students, all Undergrads and mostly sophomores. We had just finished our first 'Chinese cooking' class, where we will be learning some of the techniques and styles that have sustained millions of people for the last few hundreds of years. After we ate, they were eager to go out, eat and drink in Haerbin's food culture. I decided to go home, because I had some work to do, but I was a little suprised by their excitement and almost Disiney style twinkle in their eyes. Just two semesters ago I was teaching University students, now I’m in class with them and some of them have better language skills than I do which completely flips the power dynamics that would be in place in any traditional society. Yes I’m only two years out of University myself, but for many of these students it’s there first time to China and their first time abroad. Most of them are 18/19 years old, nearly just out of high-school. I often find myself, smiling and remembering my time in University – oh I’m such a wise old man now. As a minority (age-wise) in the group I sometimes play the part of a younger student - excited, maybe slightly reckless. Other times I play the part of the older more experienced student (not that this is always the case), listening, understanding and giving advice. Its botha humbling and youth-feeling experience.
However, I'm by far not the youngest of the group. There are two Fulbrighters that are 30 and 32 years old, yet they are not given special ‘middle age’ treatment. They are as young as the rest of us, as the youngest of us, and in many respects they are more youthful. For instance Jon, is a 30year old Biology Phd student. He’s studying turtles in the Southwestern China. He is more open and inclusive than most of the other students, and is often more eager to go out, whether it’s volleyball, ping-pong or drinking. It’s always reassuring to meet someone like Jon, because he’s not following the traditional path/career. We’re all so eager to get into the real-world, but it turns out we’re already in the real-world. Sure I’m (we’re) not working a 9-5 traditional job, instead I’m navigating along a path that I’ve helped shape. And who says 9-5 is going to be the norm in the next 10-20years. It’s enlightening to meet people like Jon because it releases a bit of the tension felt from the pressures of society forcing traditional maturity on you. So here’s to ‘Young at Heart’, I think it’s a great goal to have.