The past four months of my life have been incredible. Some days I still
can’t believe that I am in China. Last weekend I was reflecting on the
semester with some of the staff members of The Beijing Center and some
other students. I thought about when I first arrived in Beijing, not
being able to understand any Chinese written or spoken and the feeling
of isolation I had. I remembered making the friends that I have grown to
love so much. The friendships I have made in Beijing feel as though they
have already been a lifetime. Having gone through so many challenges in
such a foreign place has brought me closer to my friends here than I
could ever have imagined. They are truly what I will miss most about the
Beijing Center.
I remembered the two weeks I spent traveling around the Yunnan Province
of China spending my nights sleeping in villages with China’s ethnic
minorities. I remembered walking on the Great Wall of China and feeling
the centuries of history beneath my feet. I remembered going to Sichuan
and seeing the foothills of the Himalayas. I remembered all the days I
spent ordering 宫保鸡丁和奶茶 kung pow chicken and milk tea. I remembered so
many incredible moments: the moments of sorrow and joy, confusion and
understanding.
In Daoism there is a concept that you must totally lose yourself to be
able to find yourself. You must totally lose yourself to realize that
you are part of something bigger and greater than yourself. Being in
China allowed me to lose myself in a way that I have never done before.
There were moments when I was physically lost, but more importantly
moments when I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually lost. Although
I don’t know if I have found myself, being in China has taken me on the
path of losing myself. It has made me a part of something bigger than
myself. In a place where everyday is a challenge I learned about myself.
Even though my study abroad journey is ending there is still so much
more I have to say. When I get home I will continue to reflect and write
about the many experiences I’ve in China (and Italy).
It is still hard to believe that the next time I write I will be home in
America.
再见北京 Goodbye Beijing
can’t believe that I am in China. Last weekend I was reflecting on the
semester with some of the staff members of The Beijing Center and some
other students. I thought about when I first arrived in Beijing, not
being able to understand any Chinese written or spoken and the feeling
of isolation I had. I remembered making the friends that I have grown to
love so much. The friendships I have made in Beijing feel as though they
have already been a lifetime. Having gone through so many challenges in
such a foreign place has brought me closer to my friends here than I
could ever have imagined. They are truly what I will miss most about the
Beijing Center.
I remembered the two weeks I spent traveling around the Yunnan Province
of China spending my nights sleeping in villages with China’s ethnic
minorities. I remembered walking on the Great Wall of China and feeling
the centuries of history beneath my feet. I remembered going to Sichuan
and seeing the foothills of the Himalayas. I remembered all the days I
spent ordering 宫保鸡丁和奶茶 kung pow chicken and milk tea. I remembered so
many incredible moments: the moments of sorrow and joy, confusion and
understanding.
In Daoism there is a concept that you must totally lose yourself to be
able to find yourself. You must totally lose yourself to realize that
you are part of something bigger and greater than yourself. Being in
China allowed me to lose myself in a way that I have never done before.
There were moments when I was physically lost, but more importantly
moments when I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually lost. Although
I don’t know if I have found myself, being in China has taken me on the
path of losing myself. It has made me a part of something bigger than
myself. In a place where everyday is a challenge I learned about myself.
Even though my study abroad journey is ending there is still so much
more I have to say. When I get home I will continue to reflect and write
about the many experiences I’ve in China (and Italy).
It is still hard to believe that the next time I write I will be home in
America.
再见北京 Goodbye Beijing
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