我已经记不清楚了，我是如何发现他的网站的。
只记得当时很好奇：一个美国人领养了一个中国女孩，然后又接受邀请到锦州去当英语外教，那会是怎样的经历和感受？他又是怎样看待中国的呢？
于是，我加入了他的邮件列表，通过这个列表，他会不定期地将他的故事告诉网上关心着他的人们。但是很遗憾，自从2001年7月3日以后，他就一封邮件也没有发出过。
直到今天我清理邮件时，才又发现了来自他的新邮件。原来他当上了美国的签证面试官。
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Hello, everybody!
Since Lara and I returned from China in January, we've been settling back into American routines. This time around, the adjustment was much easier for both of us. I think we've gotten to the point where we feel comfortable in both places now. We immediately started back into weekly Chinese school in Tucson, and generally kept busy.
As usual, the miserable economy combined with our very rural location (on my parents' ranch in rural SE Arizona) has made it very difficult for me to find work. So, I sat down and took a good, hard look at where I've been and where I want to go, careerwise. And came to the surprising conclusion that what I'd really like to do is become a Foreign Service Officer. Having been on the side of so many students trying to breach the barriers to get visas to the U.S., it's a bit strange to imagine sitting on the other side of the desk and no doubt being required to turn down lots of visa applicants. But on the other hand, the idea of having the opportunity to serve my country, perhaps make a real difference helping people, and live in interesting places around the world with government support and an American income just overwhelms the negatives in my mind.
Entry to the Foreign Service is a difficult and drawn out process, and I am just in the initial stages now. I took the written exam in April. The results won't come out until late July. If I pass, then the next step will be to travel to San Francisco or Chicago for the Oral Assessment. If I pass that, then there's the Medical and Security Clearances. In a best case scenario, I might be hired sometime early next spring. If I fail in the written or oral exams, then I'll have to start all over again next spring.
I am really excited about the chance to live in exotic places all over the world, and I think Lara will do very well with that sort of lifestyle, too. She's really a very easy kid to take along and do things with, and adapts easily to new situations. I have been told, informally, that there's a good chance that our first posting might be to China, since my Chinese ability has reached an acceptable level. After that, who knows?
In the meantime, Lara and I are enjoying life in Arizona. A few weeks ago, a dream project fell into my lap. An east coast software company found my resume in a web search, and contracted with me to develop documentation for their webbased financial modeling application. I work my own hours, from my own home office, doing work that I really enjoy!
Lara's just finishing up her 2nd grade homeschooling year this month. She enjoys the flexibility of homeschooling, but misses some of the fun of having lots of other kids to play with. However, she doesn't miss being teased or treated unkindly by the other kids, so all in all, homeschooling is working well for us all. None of us miss the grueling bus rides she had to endure traveling 25 miles each way to the nearest public school.
I've been writing to you all erratically, since 1998, when we were first preparing to move to China, and had no idea what to expect. Our China adventure has been such a wonderful experience for us both, helping me especially to broaden my outlook and attitudes about culture, career, personal priorities, relationships and so many other things. Heck, I even learned how to cook some wonderful Chinese dishes! When I look back to my pre-China life, the difference amazes me. Life just keeps getting better, and definitely more interesting.
I think that one of the things I am most pleased about, though, is that I have been able to influence and encourage others to create their own China adventure. What a pleasure it has been, to read other China diaries, and see China through their eyes!
At this point, I don't know when we'll be able to return to China. I am sure that we will. I'll continue to post occasionally to this list, whenever Yahoo threatens to delete my group, or whenever something noteworthy occurs in our lives. Please, please, for those of you planning your own adventures in life, be sure to invite me to join YOUR list, too!
Yours,
Lisa McClure
mimo 说：
that looks almost my dream life, hope one day I can realize it :)
2010年2月19日 10:27 | # | 引用
ivan 说：
第一篇原来是写这个内容的，要有翻译就更好了！
2012年3月23日 11:15 | # | 引用
zhouzhou2043 说：
找到半天，这才是第一篇文章
2012年9月 9日 20:49 | # | 引用
骑驴的桑乔 说：
看文章好像还没当上签证面试官。去看了她的（从名字而后最新照片来看应该是位女士）网站，小女孩Lara长大了。
2012年11月 5日 11:34 | # | 引用
辉娃 说：
是啊，收养人名叫 Lisa，看起来的确是位女士，博主反复用“他”，是误导了。
2014年3月20日 22:26 | # | 引用
xiaozi0lei 说：
哈哈，interesting，好多人都在找你的第一篇文章，我们都是强迫症患者 :)
2015年4月 9日 08:09 | # | 引用
human 说：
务必看完老师的每一篇文章
2015年10月10日 17:32 | # | 引用
Allen 说：
哈哈 我最近才开始学习html和css 百度学习内容无意来到贵博客 然后就深深吸引住了。好多文章，慢慢看，从第一篇开始。
2015年11月 6日 16:27 | # | 引用
Brant 说：
订阅了您的RSS后，我觉着有必要把早期的博客也看了。
那就从第一篇开始吧~
2016年6月11日 19:59 | # | 引用
hilojack 说：
想来, 我应该是上大学时开始留意到你的博客, 这么多年来都没有断更过, 希望永远不要断更
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还是没有忍住算了一下, 这么多年来, 你平均每2.89天一篇博客, 真是不简单啊
2016年9月 4日 22:55 | # | 引用
Ivy 说：
愿不忘初心。。。
2017年1月15日 15:02 | # | 引用
雷厉风行 说：
追到了您的第一篇博客
2017年7月 5日 20:52 | # | 引用
末生 说：
想着，休学一年让自己更加充实;发现，有一面可以从这里开始 ..
2017年7月28日 18:06 | # | 引用
Tom 说：
我高中的时候和她来往很多，后来她回了美国就失去了联系。我现在来美国了，在寻找她们的消息，一无所有。
2018年2月10日 07:03 | # | 引用
Calvin 说：
现在是冠状病毒时代，我回来考古了。
2020年4月21日 04:21 | # | 引用
资深小粉红 说：
看完这篇文章有点不成熟的想法，留言记录一下。
这是美国人到中国来后的感受，还是两千年初时的中国，还是刚入世不久、社会经济建设全面爆发伊始的中国。
即使仅是那时的中国，也能让一个游历过一段时间的美国人生出如此的感慨与喜爱——
Our China adventure has been such a wonderful experience for us both, helping me especially to broaden my outlook and attitudes about culture, career, personal priorities, relationships and so many other things. Heck, I even learned how to cook some wonderful Chinese dishes! When I look back to my pre-China life, the difference amazes me. Life just keeps getting better, and definitely more interesting.
并从此热衷于向朋友真诚推荐中国行。
那么转换一下身份，彼时的中国人去当时的美国，又会产生多么深刻的触动与无法自禁的喜爱。
一直以来，我十分不理解那些即使刷盘子、做零工也要移居海外的普通家庭。觉得他们就是被移民中介忽悠瘸了，看完这篇文章我有了不一样的看法。
中低产移民那么多，必然不会全是傻子，他们当中可能真有那么一批是发自内心地觉得海外生活比国内更安逸。
这种感受并不一定是客观事实，但一定含有与本文美国游客一样的，“围城”式滤镜的影响；
一定有人类认知能力最底层的求知欲、探索欲被满足后的自我激励的影响。
这样想来，鼓励开拓眼界、丰富人生经历的海外游历是很值得推崇的，而盲目鼓吹海外优越生活条件则很大概率只是新鲜感作祟罢了。
2020年6月24日 22:53 | # | 引用
lvzitao 说：
一看评论都是来找第一篇文章的？
2020年6月29日 16:57 | # | 引用
海豚先生 说：
外国人真应该亲自来中国看看，而不是媒体说的那样
2020年7月15日 13:32 | # | 引用
昭瑞 说：
其实有蛮多美国人领养中国儿童的，其中很大一部分都是残疾儿童。这些领养残疾儿童的人中的很多人是基督徒，他们之所以领养这些儿童，是因为在圣经中那位神创造人的时候赋予人平等的价值与灵魂。
其实在中国也有一些专门领养这些残疾儿童的机构，比如“生命树”，我去过一次，那些残疾儿童的微笑就像是天使的微笑一样。
2020年10月31日 16:39 | # | 引用
KXLF 说：
新冠还没结束，我来考古。
2022年10月15日 23:29 | # | 引用
fandykii 说：
考古
2023年3月 7日 17:22 | # | 引用
chen 说：
找到这里留言真是个奇妙的事情，谢谢您的分享！
2023年6月 8日 17:40 | # | 引用
tang 说：
20231117，考古第一篇文章。
2023年11月17日 18:13 | # | 引用
Ofelia 说：
好奇点进来，没想到是第一篇
2024年5月31日 18:20 | # | 引用
Jason 说：
打卡第一篇
2024年9月11日 17:04 | # | 引用