People's Republic of...America?

So I have been back in the U.S. for about 2 weeks now and although it feels good to be back home, I already miss Beijing. I expected to feel this way but I must admit I am a little surprised to be missing China so quickly.  I have been keeping in touch with my host mother via email. I know that even though it might be a year or so before I see her again, I will see her and the rest of my Chinese "family" again.  I feel so lucky that I had the unique opportunity to live with such a wonderful Chinese family. I know that living in an apartment or a dorm would have been a really cool experience as well, but I can't really imagine living in China any other way. I think that both my Chinese family and I learned so much from one another. Not only did they go out of their way to make sure I was happy and comfortable, but they also were persistent in pushing me to practice and improve my Chinese.

It was also my Chinese host mother who really pushed me to switch internships. She was so attentive to my feelings and could tell that I was not completely satisfied with my position at China Renmin Publishing Press. At first, I had more or less decided to just stick with the publishing internship but after discussing with my host mother that there were other options, I knew that I needed to make a change. That little push to change paid off immensely.

I learned so much during my time in Beijing. Not just about the working world and the Chinese culture and people, but I also learned a lot about myself. I had time to think about my goals and what I wanted out to get out of this experience. I learned that life is not always a smooth and easy ride. Complications and problems are going to arise, there is nothing I can do about that, however where my power lies is within how I choose to respond to such problems. I know that with a positive attitude, hard work and dedication I can overcome almost any obstacle. Living in Beijing was essential in teaching me this lesson. Life while traveling and working abroad is not always so wonderful and amazing. It can be difficult and there will be times when you just feel like throwing in the towel and giving up, but it is within the effort and will power to not give in to the temporary frustrations that really helps you grow as a person. Without a doubt this whole experience has made me a stronger and more understanding person. I feel like I have really learned how to empathize with others. I am not afraid to try alternate means of communication such as silly hand signals or "changlish" because I know that one of the most important parts of communication is the effort. The desire to connect with others.

 The wall that I would walk past on my way home from work. It is very close to where I live. On the wall it says "soymilk" (vertically) and "breakfast" (horizontally). It must be the case that a vendor used to set up a breakfast cart and sell breakfast by this wall.

Me at an amazingly fancy lunch. So delicious and elegant! We had a private room for just 3 people. That is why no one is sitting next to me! Haha.

People are often a little shocked and confused when they hear that I am a Chinese major. Their next question is usually something along the lines of "so, what do you do with that?" or " Do you plan to teach Chinese?." I myself am not 100% sure yet what exactly I want to do with my knowledge of the Chinese language and culture, but after living in Beijing for 2 months  I am sure that I chose the right path in life. I know that there is a great demand for native English speakers who understand Chinese culture and have the ability to communicate in Mandarin. Traveling to China has opened my eyes to a whole list of possibilities. I have also been lucky enough to make multiple connections that could potentially prove to be very helpful down the line.

 View from the top of the Fragrance Hills mountain top.

Overall, participating in Intrax's program has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life. At this point it is still hard to verbalize how amazing and beneficial it was to my life and my future but looking back on it now, I really can't think of a better way to have spent my summer. The only question in my mind now is...how and when can I return back to China?

"Old Street" in Beijing...as you could guess, it is one of the oldest streets in Beijing. It will not be renovated.

Another shot of Old Street.

Local boy holding up his post on Old Street, super cute or what?

Traditional Chinese style door in Houhai