A Year in China
As I reached the top and looked out upon the vast and seemingly endless dunes of the Gobi Desert, I knew immediately that studying abroad in China was the best decision of my life.
As the sun beat down on me from its seat above in the deep blue sky, I took another step into the sandy dune, drew in a breath and continued upward. As I reached the top and looked out upon the vast and seemingly endless dunes of the Gobi Desert, I knew immediately that studying abroad in China was the best decision of my life. The night before I had spent four hours to the east in the Mongolian Grasslands, where I had rode a horse across the equally vast plains, wrestled a Mongolian Warrior, and ate lamb off the bone. This all sounds fictional, like some fabricated story, but it is real. Here I was, one day later facing one of the largest deserts on the planet. It took a car, a jeep, and a camel for me to get here, but I made it.
My time in Inner Mongolia has just been a small slice of my year in China, one week among weeks of adventures. My home base is in Shanghai where I study am spending most of my time. The city is a gigantic metropolis and cultural melting pot, where traditional Chinese culture collides full on with western commercialism. Shanghai offers endless opportunity in entertainment, food, and culture. Using Mandarin to communicate with cab drivers and locals helps me to navigate the busy streets and tall buildings at every turn. Having excellent and patient teachers helps me gain the confidence I need to speak Mandarin when needed and now I find myself looking for excuses to use the language.