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
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