I have been in China for three weeks now and I am realizing that this is the halfway point of my six-week program… it is going by faster than I expected! A lot has happened since I left the United States, starting with the plane ride itself. It was almost surreal to watch our landing in the Beijing Airport and look at my surroundings for the first time. I’m not sure what I expected to see, but I was surprised all the same. My first couple nights in Beijing were a whirlwind of trying new foods and talking to new people and trying to figure my way around campus (I did get lost quite a few times). But since then, I have settled in to my classes (Chinese 1 and Global Health) and I have been to Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and my favorite… The Great Wall. Below are some of my favorite pictures from each excursion.
Tiananmen Square
Erica, Kathy, Cassie, Meg, and I at The Great Wall
The Great Wall is arguably the most impressive things I have ever seen in my life, which would make sense considering it is one of the seven “Wonders of the World.” It way exceeded my expectations both in beautiful views and in the difficulty of climbing the wall itself. I knew we would be doing a fair amount of climbing but I was amazed by how high up the wall took us and even found myself slightly nervous about the height, although it was well worth it.
Additionally, my friends and I have explored other places in Beijing such as Wudaokou, which is a popular area with lots of shopping centers, restaurants, and clubs. Although my classes have been a lot of work, it has been cool to see myself go from only knowing how to say “hello” and “thank you” in Chinese to forming basic sentences and I am looking forward to learning more both inside and outside the classroom in the weeks to come.