For the past week and a half I have been absorbing the Chinese culture in Xi’an and Beijing. I really enjoy traveling and I think that the places I have previously traveled to have prepared me for this trip. Even the ways the Chinese and American people eat are stark opposites. I thoroughly enjoyed myself during this trip and would one day like to return to China.
            After touring all throughout Beijing and Xi’an, I can say with safety that China has a lot of interesting and amazing things to see. While in Beijing, the smog was a bit overwhelming, but the last two days there, it cleared up. My personal favorite was the ancient wonder of the world, The Great Wall of China, and getting the chance to scale it. The allowed two hours for the wall did not seem like enough time to take in all of the scenery. I also really enjoyed the Heavenly Temple in Beijing, because of its size and the history behind it.
            Although the touring was great, the most fun I had during the whole trip was the culture of the Chinese people. The absolute best part of the trip, for me, was the last couple of days in Xi’an, because we got to spend time with the students at Northwestern Polytechnical University. Looking around the campus and exchanging information about how we live in our respective societies was really interesting. Between the Model UN students, the English majors, and the freshman English class, I hope to have gained a pen pal.
            Overall, the trip to China has been amazing and unforgettable. I can only hope to return one day and experience even more of China. I wish to pursue Chinese Mandarin and take it as a third language. This was an amazing opportunity and unforgettable to say the least. I cannot wait to return to China, in years, and be able to speak fluent Chinese. I thank everyone involved for this fantastic once-in-a-lifetime experience.