China
Don't be afraid of growing slowly. Only fear standing still.
Chinese proverb[spacer height="20px"]
China was the first foreign country I traveled to.
I was a wide-eyed, 15-year-old blank canvas who had only ever seen the Midwestern countryside of the USA. China was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Two weeks of traveling Chongqing and Beijing on a cultural exchange program and I knew I needed more of it. [spacer height="20px"]
I ended up back in China during university, for a semester abroad. I attended Renmin University, and studied in their Global Studies program. [spacer height="20px"]
Life in Beijing was... not what I expected.
I had a bad first night that colored my opinions for awhile, but in the end the people I met there and the places I explored made it all worth while, and a uniquely memorable experience.
Read the stories
Bad Start in Beijing
Beijing didn’t start very well.
Beijing Improves
It was a rough start in Beijing. But things did begin to improve. My host found a nice hotel for me (and then I never spoke to him again. Trust issues, and all that).
Lessons from China
China is crazy, chaotic, and confusing. But once you spend a bit of time here it starts to make a little bit more sense.
Getting to Know Beijing
So last week I headed to the English corner. It was a bit of a mob. I’d start chatting with someone that I wanted to get to know better, then have a crowd swarm me...
Workin' Hard to Make a Living
Luckily for all you somewhat-blonde Americans out there: jobs are easy to find and even easier to get in China.
A Touristy Month
I finally did tons of sight-seeing and played the role of a proper tourist in Beijing. I think I’ve hit just about every major spot in the city.
So Long, Beijing
My 4 months in Beijing are up. December was a hurried month, so you see, there wasn’t much time to realize that time was up. But now that it is, I can look back and realize what I gained in China.
I learned a lot in Beijing.
See the pictures
