Hi! My name is Mandy Pokryfky and I just finished up my sophomore year at NU. A little bit about myself… I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering and I am about to embark to China as part of the Wanxiang Fellows Program where I will be studying Energy Technology and Policy. I am currently writing this post less than 24 hours before my flight from Detroit to Chicago (where I will catch a connecting flight to Beijing), and I am procrastinating packing. I have been home for a week now and I have been catching up on relaxation and spending time with family members and friends before I depart for China. I brought my boyfriend home from NU to introduce him to my family and we spent a couple days exploring the more fun parts of Livonia, MI (my hometown). My favorite part about this week was probably our trip to the pet store where we played with the cutest yellow lab that ever existed… see picture below for proof.
I have never been out of the country before (other than on a short cruise) and I am feeling both nervous and excited! This is about to be the most exciting adventure of my life to date and I am most looking forward to experiencing a new culture. I am a little scared for the flight.. almost 14 hours, yikes! I am hoping that it will go smoothly and that navigating the airport in Beijing won’t be too confusing. I am also looking forward to trying new food and making new friends. I hope my classes will be interesting and that I will be able to explore many parts of Beijing. That’s about all for now… until next time!