The JCCC Model United Nations team was given the amazing opportunity to visit China and our sister school (Northwestern Polytechnical University). Personally, I had never been abroad before, and this chance to see and be in another country was a unique experience I will never forget. To be honest, before the trip, I was quite nervous about it – especially since I had never been so far away from the United States before. But, China quickly grew on me, and I tried my best to enjoy the experience instead of being scared or nervous. The trip was a great experience for all of us, regardless of a few hiccups here and there.

        Our first two days in Beijing were a bit of a whirlwind tour, and I wish we had had more time at the sites we visited. Still, we got to see so much of a fascinating and interesting city. My favorite parts of the tour were our visits to the Great Wall – which many of us climbed fairly far up! – and the Forbidden City. Although, I got quite tired climbing the Great Wall (such steep steps!) and also very tired from nearly running through the Forbidden City in an hour! It was still amazing to see, and I’m very glad I got to experience Beijing, however quickly.

        Unfortunately for me, I got ill on our first day in Xi’an and missed our first meeting with our sister school. But, I enjoyed the rest of the time we spent there, and tried my best to keep up with everyone despite still being a bit sick. While I loved seeing all of the various sites in the city of Xi’an – especially the trip to the Terracotta Warriors! – my favorite part of the entire trip was meeting with the students of Northwestern Polytechnical University. Getting to speak with them and get to know them a little, as well as finding out bits about their country through their eyes and experiences, was an unforgettable experience.

        All in all, this trip was amazing and wonderful – minus getting sick, of course! But, regardless of that, I had an amazing time and experience and I want to thank JCCC for letting us go on this wonderful trip. I will treasure the memories from it for years to come. This first international experience drives me to continue to see and learn more about our world, and I can’t wait for the chance to do so. Thank you again, and thank you to the students of NPU for being so welcoming and kind to all of us. I’ll never forget it.