Locked inside, I fall in love with my second home

China is a revolving door for most foreigners. In just a little more than two years I've seen scads of expats come and go and have attended more going-away parties than birthday bashes with them.

Another fresh batch of global nomads has recently appeared in Beijing, so I'm doing another round of meet-and-greets. One of the first things they ask after introductions is when I plan on returning to the United States. Most are surprised when I tell them I don't.

Like most other foreigners, when I first came to the country, I had planned on doing "my year in China", a pit stop for adventure and experience on the journey to life's next destination.