long ago and far away

It hardly seems like nearly 7 months now, if I were on my original contract it would be about time to consider renewing it and making preperations to come home for a bit of a break. But since I have started a new contract and I am less than one month into it the past 6 months are almost null and void in a way. I mean they are there for experience, but elsewise my contracted time here has started over. I am really not looking forward to having to look for another apartment in 5.5 months. You know I have to say that some of the best times I have had with Tom have been here in China, if he decides to stay home for good I will miss him a lot. I have spoken to a lot of foreigners here that have gone back home for extended periods of time, 8 months, a year, sometimes more. Many of them say that if you really get into China it can be very hard to assimilate yourself back into your own culture, usually you won't have as nice a job there, there is a lot of talking to be done for at least a year as more of your relatives come in contact with you.
You go from a life that is at least a little exciting every day, you take taxi's here to get places, you walk, you see interesting people, your a teacher and you work with interesting people all day, people think your great just because you are from a different place. Then you go home and everything may have the misfortune of going back to the way they were before you left. You may have to go back to your job as a plumber or construction worker or call center tech, you will have to tell the same stories all the time, you'll drive everywhere, eat really bad food. Things become Mundane again. I wonder if you guys agree?