Dear China

Before coming to China, I was very excited. I would consider myself a world traveler in the making, and every new place I get the opportunity to travel to gets me one step closer. My goal when traveling places is to have an absolute blast and learn as much as I possibly can. As for China, I thought that it would be a little crazy, but overall a great time. I can say that the second I walked through the airport in Beijing, I knew this was going to be a huge culture shock. One can think in their minds that 23 million people in a city is going to be a big number, but you don’t really understand the massiveness of that number until you actually immerse yourself into Beijing. The crowds of people everywhere really did throw me for a loop, especially because I am from the country side in Kentucky. After a few days though, I felt like a true citizen of Beijing. Nothing made me feel more independent and mature than riding the subway through the city without an adult, and actually arriving at the destination I wanted. I initially thought the subway system was chaotic and unorganized, but I came to realize that it is actually very organized and efficient, you just have to be on your toes at all times. Another aspect of Beijing I was not expecting was the very distinct smell. Before coming, my friends who had been to China before told me that China has a smell, and they were right. I got used to the smell very quickly though, and it will seem odd in America to not have the Chinese smell lingering about everywhere.

           

           One of the parts of China I was looking forward to the most was the food. In the United States, Chinese takeout and Chinese buffets are my favorite restaurants. I was really excited to taste actual Chinese food, instead of the Americanized version. I quickly realized that Chinese food is much different than what I was expecting. It took a little getting used to, and there were some things that were just too weird for my sheltered American appetite, but overall the food was a good and interesting experience. One of my favorite foods I had while I was here was in a little restaurant across the street from our hotel. Inside, you could watch the chefs making the noodles homemade, getting them thinner and thinner with every pull. They were the best noodles I have ever had in my life, and I ended up eating at the noodle restaurant for supper three times in a row!

            This trip was full of a lot of fun experiences, and I really enjoyed all the places we visited in Beijing. First, the markets. In America, there is no bartering at all in stores. But in China, I quickly found out you must barter or you will be getting completely ripped off. It was so much fun bartering, I loved going back and forth with the sellers, trying to settle on a price that suited us both. The markets themselves were a little crazy, but they were a fun and new crazy, one I wanted to keep going back to (even though my wallet didn’t want me to). Second, the Great Wall of China. When I heard we were going to get to climb on the Great Wall on this trip, I was very excited. The Great Wall is one of the most impressive man-made structures in the world, and is full of so much rich history and beauty. And when we actually climbed on it, it was awesome. The pure size of the wall was amazing, and even though I was dripping sweat the whole time, it was well worth it. I felt like a true citizen of China, and at the top I took a few minutes to just sit and admire the beautiful mountains and world around me. It was probably a moment I will never forget.  Third, the Olympic park. The Olympic park was on the top of my to-do list while in China, and it ended up being on the itinerary anyways. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing were the first Olympics I ever watched, and I loved them. It was just so cool to get to physically get to walk around the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube where the world’s best athletes have competed. I really enjoyed seeing the architecture of the buildings. The buildings in Beijing are like none I’ve ever seen before, and it sparked an interest in architecture for me. These three places I mentioned are only a very small fraction of the places we visited while in China, but all of the other places we went to were all awesome experience’s as well.

            Overall, China was probably the biggest adventure I have ever had. It was so much different than America, and it definitely took some getting used to. However, I do not regret going on this trip, and I am so glad I was opened up to so many new experiences. China was one of a kind, and who knows, maybe I will see China again in my future.