The first full week of classes went well, but as you will see the weekend was even more fun. It was a very busy three-day weekend for me in Germany! Between the castle ruins and waterfall on Friday morning, Lake Constance and live bar music on Saturday, and then biking and boat ride on Sunday I was ready for bed that night!
Aaron found a great place to read a book for a few minutes at the castle ruins!
Finding our way around the ruins bright and early!
The incredible waterfall at Bad Urach that we saw after the castle ruins on Friday morning!
Just visiting Switzerland for the day, you know, it’s casual.
Nick being braver than the rest of us at Lake Constance on Saturday!
Nick got some great German practice in on the ferry ride across Lake Constance!
The Valpo Pin overlooking Lake Constance from the small city of Meersburg, Germany.
Mackenzie and Jordan enjoying the view of Lake Constance from Meersburg!
The ever-majestic Lauren trying her hand at punting on the river in Tübingen.
Reid posing with the Valpo flag on the end of the punting boat in Tübingen.
As I started to reflect on my past month in China, I started to realize how quickly time flies here. It was both nostalgic and relieving to know that I had “made it.” I was able to survive in China for a month already. Through all the language barriers and cultural differences I am still facing, I feel as though I have somewhat conquered it. Although I still have another 2 1/2 months to go, my confidence has grown while in China. Now, I am
not that ashamed to speak Chinese to people, afraid that they will hear my American accent. This short trip, thus far, has taught me that it is okay to mess up. It is okay to pronounce words incorrectly, order the wrong dishes in Chinese and only realize your mistake when the plate of duck head is sitting before you, and it is also okay to tell someone in Chinese “I don’t understand” when you blatantly do not understand. Why? Because that is ultimately how you learn.
This month in China has taught me a lot thus far and I have done so much already. I visited Xian, China’s old ancient capital and was able to bike ride along one of the oldest city walls in China, and visit some really famous warriors as well as travel to Beijing and not only see the notorious Tianmen square but also climb the Great Wall of China, something I had only knew of through elementary school text books. At Zhejiang University, where I currently reside, I have have met alot of people, those of which I would only have had the opportunity to meet, while abroad. I have met people from all over the world including Mexico, Africa, South Korea, and Europe. Some of which I call friends.
This short period of time here has really put into perspective what it is like to be an international student in a foreign country. Thus, only increasing my respect for international students on Valpo’s campus, where students do not just stay for one semester, as I am doing here, but for all four years, seemingly away from friends, family and their culture. It did take a while to adjust but when I did everything fell into place. I’m in a country I love, with people I like and going places I could only dream of, all of which I am truly grateful for.
With that being said, I guess I can say “happy one month anniversary” to me and every other student studying abroad. Congratulations we made it!
Berlin. The Capital city of Germany. What a weird, quirky, classy, oddball, and altogether extraordinary place. We spend Friday-Wednesday here (a week ago, actually), and we certainly had a blast.
Before I go on about Berlin, I have some corrections to make to my last entry. I mentioned last time that my parents would represent a majority of the people reading this. As it turns out, I apparently have far more parents than I had previously assumed. Thank you to all for taking the time to read my musings. And thanks to Rachel and my family for continuing to be my biggest fans.
The first night gave us a chance for some culinary confusion. Hofbraühaus (“HOFF-broy-house”) is a Munich standard, so we let at the opportunity to eat there, despite being nearly 600 km away from Munich. With it a mere block away from our hostel, how could we say no to an early start to Oktoberfest? (Spoiler alert: we couldn’t.)
Walking westward as the sun was setting, we had fun with some photography in the Lustgarten on Museuminsel (Museum Island), between Berliner Dom (cathedral) and Altes Museum (Old Museum – a very creative name). Rick Steves says that the Berliner Dom “is a protestant assertion of strength,” adding that it “seems to proclaim ‘a mighty fortress is our God…and he speaks German!'” Nineteen of the seven of us had a splendid time.
Reid in front of the Berliner Dom, making good use of the iPhone’s Panorama function.
Nineteen out of seven of us had a splendid time on our first evening in Berlin.
We finished our excursion walking through the Brandenburger Tor, marveling that this was not something our parents could have done when they visited Germany 30 years ago. The gigantic gate was near the Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall). Older readers may recall President Reagan challenging Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” or perhaps remember news clips of people celebrating as the wall fell two years later. Younger readers and tech-savvy people can relive these moments on YouTube.
Contrasts began early on Saturday morning. Several more trains than we had initially expected were needed to get to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, where 50000 people were murdered during the Holocaust.
Aside: Germans today will deliberately say that the victims of the Holocaust were murdered, as opposed to having died or been killed. You can be killed in an accident, or can die of natural causes. Murder is entirely different.
I tried to imagine whether or not 50000 people would fit inside an area equal to that of the camp. This doesn’t reflect any piece of reality – I was simply trying to imagine the size of a 50000-person crowd. 50000 is one of those numbers that’s just big enough that it’s magnitude is difficult to understand. I’m not sure many people have interacted with 50000 of anything in any kind of tangible way.
As though to remind us that our laughter and joy from the previous day would not be appropriate in this sacred, broken place, it was windy and rainy. The sun kept to itself for most of the day, only revealing itself a few times in the afternoon. Yet in the midst of the clouds and dark memories, there was still hope. No matter how hard the wind blew, it could never erase the memories. The trees would sooner topple and the buildings would sooner be reduced to dust than the Holocaust be forgotten. Perhaps this is an ill-informed view of how civilizations rise and fall, but it certainly felt this way to me.
Statue in the building to mark the location of the Sachsenhausen furnaces.
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
We need monuments like Sachsenhausen to help us remember the horrible things that people did (and can do) to people. None of us perpetrated the Holocaust. Very few people know anybody whom it directly affected. Nobody really owes anybody else an apology for the past, nor do we need to assign blame to anybody alive today. But we do need to remember that these things happened so that we can do everything to keep them from happening again.
After Sachsenhausen, we had quite possibly the least concentration camp-ish meal possible. It was several huge plates of all kinds of meats, each with enough food to comfortably split it between four people. It was fantastically filling, far beyond what any Sachsenhausen meal could have been for the people detained there.
Plate of meat for four at Zillemarkt. This plate was about 50cm (20in) long at its widest.
Following the meal, we went to Kaufhaus des Westens – KaDeWe, the largest department store in Europe. There were somewhere on the order of six stories of everything from jewelry and perfumes to clothing to toys to food and much more. Everything there seemed to have a markup. Even Lego kits seemed to cost more than they should in a typical store. This is a rather gutsy move for the store, particularly given the easily-referenced and well-defined prices of Lego kits. We looked for Ritter Sport chocolate bars to use as a standard price reference point, but couldn’t find any. Neither Nick nor I could tell if this was because the place was simply too large (which it was), or if it was because Ritter Sport is not classy enough chocolate for the normal clientele of KaDeWe (it very well might not be).
We didn’t stay very long at KaDeWe. There was simply too much to take in, and we had had a long day. The excess and materialism was simply too much for either of us, so we went home for some much needed rest. In an interesting symmetry to our morning and afternoon at Sachsenhausen, about 40 to 50 thousand people visit KaDeWe daily (per Wikipedia).
Sunday gave us a walking tour of the city. We covered some of the same route we had taken on Friday, but the added historical context was much appreciated. Berlin has had the interesting misfortune of being almost – but not quite – totally destroyed. There’s a mix of old buildings and new. The old ones embrace the grandeur of the emperors and kings of the past, the new ones celebrate rebirth and modernity, and everything in between serves as a reminder of the tumult of the 20th century. The juxtaposition of old and new, of destroyed sites and recent modern development, and even of former East and West – these are all things of which Berlin is very proud. Berlin is such a bizarre place because of all of these contrasts that define it, but these are the same contrasts that also make it the uniquely wonderful place that it is.
Almost as though an echo of Berlin, our group also let some of its contrasts show over the last few days – particularly with regards to travel style and planning. A great many of us are seasoned adventurers. We know how to deliberately get lost for the sake of new experiences, but we don’t stay lost for very long – there’s always a plan in place. Sure, we can recognize the fluidity of our short-term plans, but this doesn’t prevent us from living in the moment.
Other members of the group, well, don’t seem to be that great at traveling. The planning is there, but a combination of poor luck and incomplete follow-through has created some setbacks for them. Fornutely for them (and for the rest of us who live and work with them), it seems difficult to really upset their equilibria. If there is an edge over which they might be pushed, they sure seem to be far away from it.
We had the opportunity to do and see some more “touristy things,” or perhaps watch other tourists do touristy things. I try not to be an excessive travel hipster (just a little bit), but it can be fun and informative to watch tourists at popular sites. The crowds can sometimes be just as impressive as the thing at which they’re looking.
The “American Soldiers” at Checkpoint Charlie are neither Americans nor soldiers, and they barely speak English. A tour guide informed us that these men work as strippers after they’re done being soldiers. I did not investigate the veracity of this claim. I also do not know whether their alleged evening performance involves the removal of their fake uniforms. Hopefully not.
Nick and I had good fun exploring the history of engineering at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin. This wasn’t any specific exhibit – we just went around looking at planes, trains, and boats, all while considering the engineering that went into making them go (or the failures that made them stop going). We’re told that this museum also has cars, but we didn’t get a chance to check those out. Siemens was scattered everywhere in this museum. Having completed an internship at a Siemens plant in Cincinnati last summer, I had to get some pictures of Siemens artifacts that we came across.
Siemens and Halske Electric Locomotive (a world first) at Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.
Werner von Siemens bust at Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin. This guy adorned my ID badge this past summer.
Nick stands in front of a steam locomotive at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin. Steam engines are basically giant heat transfer demonstrations, which appeals to us engineers.
A fancy-dancy thrust-reversing jet engine, modeled by the ever-patient Nicks Sondag.
The below video is an example of something neither of my parents would have been able to do when they studied in Germany 30 years ago. Doing this gave me chills, which doesn’t happen particularly often.
This past week I moved into Bond University (they call it Uni here)! The campus is gorgeous and even has a lake that comes through a part of the campus. The lake is said to have bull sharks in it but many of us Americans still aren’t sure if the Aussies are lying to us. Aussies do have a sense of humor here so it can be hard to know when they are being sarcastic or not.
The week consisted of relaxing, exploring, and settling in. This past week I made a few trips to the mall. This mall here is huge! It is so frustrating because the layout of the stores is all over the place and everyone really just wants to get in and out of there. I did not buy an insane amount of things it was just essentials like laundry detergent (nothing too fun to buy). I made another stop at the mall to buy a SIM card for my phone. Basically what a SIM card is, is it has your carrier in it (like Verizon). So I got a new SIM card at Vodofone which is an Australian carrier. They have a packaged discount for students at Bond University. That deal allowed me to get unlimited calling and texting to Australian numbers as well as international numbers. I also got more data (internet) for being a student. I will have plenty of data which will be nice when traveling.
A group of us took the bus to Burleigh Heads to visit the national park and the beach. Another great thing about being a student is that I get a discount for the bus. So I got a card that I load money onto and it can take me to several beaches, a train station, and many other places. Anyways, we first went to the national park which is on the edge of the beach. Entering the park, the trail starts to go up on an incline that leads you up to beautiful lookouts. On the way up to the lookouts we spotted turkeys and lizards. The turkeys were a little different looking so we asked a worker in the park what they were called and he said they are called brush turkeys. When we reached the top lookout you could see the edge of the water and farther down where cities were along the coastline. My group were rebels and jumped the fence to be on the rocks to take some cool pictures and to soak in the sights of Australia.
We then headed back to the beach. Going up the trail in the park we got pretty hot so we thought getting in the water would be refreshing. I thought it might be cold but it was like the lake. I just eased in the water and it felt great! We wanted to go and ride the waves, so we did! The only bad thing is when you get out to the waves the current takes you with it. They have flags where the swimming area is so I just made sure I stayed in that area. I was having trouble getting out to where the rest of my friends were but they told me that I just had to get a little farther out to not get taken by the current as much. After swimming I went to lay on the beach but the weather was starting to get cold and we were all hungry so we stopped at a local restaurant and took the bus home.
This week there were events going on for O-Week (orientation week). I went to a themed party called Tight and Bright at Don’s Tavern on campus. I had an outfit in mind but then my roommate gave me these tie dye pants to wear and it was perfect! The party was nice because I was able to talk to a few Australians which is always nice.
Something about Australia to note is that they are for the most part pretty chill. The service here though isn’t as rushed as it is in America. They aren’t rushing around trying to get everyone’s order out if there is a line. Like I said earlier a lot of them have a good sense of humor. For the most part our service at restaurants has been good. Two things to note about when going out to a restaurant: do not tip and food is not brought out all together. In Australia they are getting paid however much the restaurant is paying them. That can obviously have its pros and cons but that is just how it is here. Many places I have been to in Australia the food doesn’t all necessarily come out at the same time. For instance, in America they usually wait until all the entrees are ready to be served to the table. Those are just some things I have noticed since I have been in Australia. I’m sure I will have more to tell you in the future.
This week is my first week of classes. I am taking Public Relations, Australian history, Crime and Deviance in Australia, and Design Communications (Adobe software using Photoshop and Illustrator). I have classes Monday, Tuesday, Wedensday, and do not have classes on Thursday and Friday. So far the classes have been very interesting. All my professors are Australian and have great backgrounds of the field of which they are teaching. I can’t wait to see what this semester brings!
Costa Rica is known for its beautiful beaches and volcanos, so while we are here studying we decided to make the most of our free time by traveling around the country and visiting some of the more famous sights.
Yesterday we went to Volcán Poás, an active volcano located just a few hours away from our home city. The large leafy plant in the foreground of the above photograph is called a “poor man’s umbrella,” which would have come in handy in the afternoon. These gorgeous views disappeared quickly when the clouds came rolling in!
Needless to say, we stayed there longer than 20 minutes.
The National Park also has a short hike to Lake Bogos, which used to be the secondary crater of the volcano. It is currently inactive, so the water is cold but very acidic.
Our quick trip up the mountain made for a nice break from studying. The views were simply spectacular and we hope to visit more volcanos before the semester comes to an end!
One night last week, three of us (Aaron, Teddy, and myself) joined a guy from Aaron and Teddy’s floor for a game of pick-up soccer with some neighborhood teenagers. While they were significantly better than the three of us and at least pretended to not know English (and us not much German), we ended up playing well beyond the original 10 goals we first agreed to play to. It was a fun night!
Kellie, Nick, Lauren (pictured on the left), Kenneth (pictured on the right), and I went exploring on the trails near campus. A small pond, campground, awesome covered fire pit pavilion we plan to grill at later on, and a new restaurant to try out in the woods were some of our great finds! We also came across this little building/shack/tree stand on the hike so had to take the photo-op!
On a bit more of a somber note, our group toured the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp while on our Berlin trip this past week. Although we arrived and departed as a group, everyone walked around the camp by themselves. It was a very moving experience for me, because although I had been to the Holocaust Museum in Germany, actually visiting a concentration camp where people were murdered and not just viewing exhibits and photos at a museum had a much greater effect.
In the middle of our city tour of Berlin we stopped by a famous chocolate shop. Yes, that is actually a chocolate version of the Brandenburg Gate!
From a famous American university chapel to a world-famous cathedral. This photo was taken on a pew in the Cologne Cathedral during the free travel time after our group Berlin trip. I traveled to Potsdam and then Cologne, Germany with Nick and Maria. We all also met up with two of my German friends while in Cologne!
Also while in Cologne, Maria, Nick, my friend Marius, and I went on a gondola ride over the Rhine river. Nick is pictured here, snapping a photo of Cologne from up in the sky.
Hey all! A few days ago I made it to my temporary home, the Gold Coast! All though it is like paradise here I am going to tell you about my past weekend in Sydney!
So on Friday I arrived in Sydney and was very tired and exhausted from a 15 hour flight. Even though I slept the traveling was pretty tiring. On the plane I met a girl named Brooke who was also in my program. There were a few other students from my program on my flight. After getting through the busy and confusing part of customs I picked up my bags and met up with my group and on site director Jackie!
Jackie is awesome! She is like my group’s Aussie mom. Jackie lives in the Gold Coast as well as another team member, Keith of CISAbroad that was staying with us in Australia.
On Friday the group and I stayed at the Sydney Harbour YHA (Youth Hostelling Association). The hostel was in an area called “the rocks” which is the older part of Sydney by the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. When a group of us got there we just chilled out at a bar and looked out at the gorgeous sites of Sydney. We were waiting on a couple of other groups from the airport to meet up with us before lunch. We headed out into the city to lunch at a place called Bar100 where I got a chicken burger. I think chicken burgers are a popular thing here because I have seen many restaurants with that on their menu. In the afternoon the group had a scavenger hunt where we were suppose to do or find certain things. For example, we had to take a picture with an employee at an art museum. So two of us took a picture with a hot Aussie. My friend was having trouble taking the picture because he was so good looking. We explored the area by the Opera house gardens and had a grand ole time doing that. Next we went to the Pylon Lookout, which is next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We took a lot of stairs up to the top but the view was definitely worth it with a site of the bridge and the Opera House. Later that night we went to dinner at The Australia Hotel where I tried Kangaroo pizza. I really do not know how to explain what it tasted like but they put a sauce in the pizza that made it taste like barbeque sauce. Kangaroo does not taste like chicken or beef. Ok more like beef I guess but I can definitely tell it is not beef.
On Saturday we hit up Bondi Beach and tried some Aussie style pies. When I mean pies I do not mean fruit or cream pie. I mean these pies have all sorts of ingredients in them. The one I got was the classic and was one they recommended us to try. It had peas on top, mash potatoes, gravy, and of course the crust around it. I wasn’t a big fan of it but did eat some of it because I was very hungry. The weather was pretty cold that day so we walked the trails, around the beach, which had some awesome lookouts. I think Aussie’s could tell we were tourists because we went too close to the waves and got bombarded by them. They also had these ocean swimming pools on the ends of the beach. They were very cool! Huge waves would come over the edges of pools and the people that were trying to do laps wouldn’t be swimming as straight anymore. After that we just explored the shops around Bondi beach and headed back for a night out with the group. My friends and I looked around and found a nice place to eat.
On Sunday we took a ferry (Circular Quay: Wharf. 3) and headed to Manly. We kayaked on the Harbour taking a few stops to hike up to a lookout, we ate lunch, and explored a museum where they talked about how they dealt with diseases by putting people in quarantine. We were all so hungry that we ended up eating at our second stop and then by the third stop they hooked all the kayaks up to the back of the boat and let us cruise on back to the dock. We explored manly beach area but were ready to head back soon after because we were wet from kayaking and it was quite chilly out. Our last night out in Sydney was a great one! We had walked past the restaurant the night before and everyone was all dressed up and ready to party. That night was a little bit more laid back because it was Sunday night. The place was awesome, they had a live band and a great DJ. I got a burger and fries but the burger had something different on the bottom like sautéed onions or something which made it very different but good. My friends and I got a few drinks and stayed later than the rest of the group enjoying our last night in Sydney.
Zaragoza is home to around 600,000 people and is the capital of the comunidad autónoma of Aragon. (Comunidades autónomas are comparable to US states.) Zaragoza (sometimes spelled Saragossa) is the 5th largest city in Spain and has become a tourist destination for many Spaniards and Europeans. Zaragoza was the host of the 2008 International Exhibition (Expo 2008) which brought many tourists and attention to the city.
Caesar Augustus
Before coming to Zaragoza, I did not know much about this city except that it is rich in history and is a major city in Spain. My knowledge was pretty limited. However, I have increased my understanding of Zaragoza and been appreciating its beauty and history during this past week and a half. I learned before going on this trip that it is a good idea to travel within the city the first few weeks of a study abroad experience. By doing so, the city you are staying in will feel like home and you can discover your favorite spots in the city right away. I have already found some of those spots in Zaragoza because of my travel through the city with friends and my host mother.
I have learned that Zaragoza was founded by the Romans in 24 BC under Caesar Augustus’s rule and the name Zaragoza comes from Caesar Augustus. If a numerous amount of people say his name hundreds of times over many years, his name eventually turns in Zaragoza. His statue is in an ancient part of the city nearby the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar which is a special part of the city that I love to visit.
El Pilar
El Pilar
La Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar/The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is what I previously referred to as the Cathedral, but is actually the Basilica. (The Cathedral of the Savior is another famous site in Zaragoza which I have not gotten a chance to visit yet. Living in a city with so many famous churches can get a bit confusing!) Most people here just refer to The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar as El Pilar. I was able to attend Mass here on Sunday which was a really wonderful experience. The churches here usually have around 3-4 services each Sunday and El Pilar has even more. There is Mass every day at El Pilar, but on Sundays alone, there are 12 different services. My host mother and I went to the 1pm service which was very full. El Pilar was crowded with people attending Mass and people just visiting the building. Many of the people at the service were visitors, but some live in Zaragoza and come every week. Later, we went up one of the towers of the El Pilar to see the entire city. When the elevator door opened, we were greeted by a spectacular sight of El Pilar and the city. We then climbed a small spiral staircase to the top of the tower which confirmed my slight fear of heights. I cannot write enough about the excellent view of Zaragoza surrounded by mountains.
I went to the top of this tower of El Pilar!
The Ebro River and El Pilar
El Pilar
As you can see, the Ebro River runs through Zaragoza with picturesque bridges like the Piedra Bridge and Santiago Bridge. Further down the river, la Pasarela Del Voluntariado shows its beauty as a pedestrian bridge. This bridge was built to honor those who volunteered with Expo 2008.
La Pasarela Del Voluntariado which is a pedestrian bridge built to honor volunteers who helped with Expo 2008 in Zaragoza.
Zaragoza is also home to the beautiful Palace of La Aljafería. Originally an Islamic Palace, La Aljaferia, along with other ancient buildings make up the Mudejar Architecture of Aragon known as a Cultural World Heritage Site. After being an Islamic Palace, it was ruled by Christians and later was the Catholic Kings’ Palace. Since then, it has gone through renovations and restorations. This Palace is an incredible treasure of Zaragoza and is similar to La Alhambra of Granada, Spain. I already want to go back to this site to take it all in once more. I went through it fairly quickly, but plan on returning with more time to spend in this famous palace.
Courtyard inside the Palace of La Aljafería
La Aljafería
I still have plenty to see and do in Zaragoza, but I have gotten a good start on experiencing the whole city. I already know which sites I want to visit again with friends. I am thankful to be learning about this fantastic city!
Traveling to China was an experience in itself. As I entered the airport terminal the flight attendant announced that the passengers would soon begin to board. First class. Business class. Premium economy and then there I was, my seat number had been called. I then grabbed my carry on, along with my passport in hand and prepared for a journey that would change me for the rest of my life. I didn’t know what to think of the 17 hr. journey, however I did come prepared with countless movies downloaded on my Ipad as well as an awesome playlist that would keep me grounded as I flew through the skies. 10 hrs of sleep (more or less), 2 movies, and a 2hr playlist later there I was, in Hong Kong. It was not my final destination but rather the first of two stops I had before I would reach Hangzhou. As I landed in Hong Kong a huge sigh of relief came over me as the hard part was now over. I had another 2 ½ hr flight from Hong Kong to Shang Hai but that seemed minuscule compared to the 14 ½ flight that I had dealt with previously.
Everything had gone well, the hardest part of the trip was now over and I was that much closer to Hangzhou. That is, until an error occurred with my groups tickets. Unfortunately we were booked on two separate flights, half of us had a connecting flight as soon as we landed in Hong Kong to board a plane to Shanghai. The other half however, was booked for a flight to Shanghai the next day. Essentially, we were all stuck in this foreign country where English was not the first language and had to figure out what to make of this situation. We had two choices: work with the airline company and try to stay together or we separated and hoped for the best. We chose to stay together and as we did our stay in Hong Kong got longer. We were put up in a hotel, courtesy of the airline company, and that following morning we would all depart from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
Although calling our teacher, calling our travel agency, conversing with the airline company and panicking in our spare time only allowed us to have 4 hrs of sleep, in an actual bed, we knew this trip would be worth it. So, the following morning we arose from our beds, and headed back to the airport we had only been 4hrs previously. Again with tickets and passports in hand, I walked into the now, Hong Kong terminal and awaited for my departure. That is, until the plane got delayed for another hour but nonetheless we made it to Shanghai. From there it would only be a three hour drive from Shanghai to Hangzhou, our final destination but who could have known that a 3hr drive would quickly turn into 6hrs. due to rush hour traffic. By then everyone was both mentally and physically exhausted but there we were, finally standing in front of Zhejiang university, A place we would call home for the next four months and it had been so worth the wait. 2 days later, Chicago–>Hangzhou ETA 48hrs.
as travel to Beijing and not only see the notorious Tianmen square but also climb the Great Wall of China, something I had only knew of through elementary school text books. At Zhejiang University, where I currently reside, I have have met alot of people, those of which I would only have had the opportunity to meet, while abroad. I have met people from all over the world including Mexico, Africa, South Korea, and Europe. Some of which I call friends. 
ded on my Ipad as well as an awesome playlist that would keep me grounded as I flew through the skies. 10 hrs of sleep (more or less), 2 movies, and a 2hr playlist later there I was, in Hong Kong. It was not my final destination but rather the first of two stops I had before I would reach Hangzhou. As I landed in Hong Kong a huge sigh of relief came over me as the hard part was now over. I had another 2 ½ hr flight from Hong Kong to Shang Hai but that seemed minuscule compared to the 14 ½ flight that I had dealt with previously.
