How many people can honestly say that they have traveled to a truly remote location in the world; to a place so far removed from any possible comfort zone that there is literally nothing to familiarize with? Somehow, I can say that I have been to such a place and experienced a whole new kind of adventure. First, I would like to establish that my most recent travels have … [Read more...] about The Adventure of a Lifetime: Backpacking through China
Archives for 2015
Instead of typing half of this journal about what inspired me to study abroad, I'm just going to cut to the chase. It was August 17th, approximately 3 PM, I had finally arrived in China, and almost without realizing it, I was 20 years old. The first night I spent in China--exhausted from a full day of air travel--was spent in a dream-like state. I spent most of that night … [Read more...] about “Mei Guo Ren”
There I was in the middle of a park called Xinghai Park standing on a ledge, feet strapped together, hearing words yelled at me sounding vaguely like, “Jump! Jump!” And so I jumped. Without looking back, I plunged myself willingly toward the Pacific Ocean thankfully being caught by the bungee cords strapped to my ankles. Then after a few minutes, I was lowered safely to a boat … [Read more...] about Taking the Leap
I came to China on a whim; I didn't think I would be selected. I had a steady job that I loved, people I cared about, and a life I thought had the perfect amount of excitement. China, this was the question I had to ask myself. I applied 3 days after the deadline. I called to see if my application would still be received well and without any penalties, and apparently, someone … [Read more...] about China: Digging Required
China is full of opportunities to get lost and see many exciting things at random. It is easy to hop on a bus and find yourself surrounded by unusual smells and people unbashfully staring at you. Many think the idea of getting lost in a large city is courageous and thrilling, and, while it is, Dalian is a relatively developed city. If a person runs into any problems or is … [Read more...] about 头发剪