Wow. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about these last two weeks. I can honestly say it’s been the experience of a lifetime. The friendships I’ve made on this trip are indescribable and the things I can say I’ve seen or been a part of were some things I never thought I would be able to do. This was an amazing program on Pitt’s part, mixing the right combination of sightseeing and study. The best part about the program was that it is only offered to freshman, and any freshman who doesn’t take advantage of this trip is doing something wrong. It was a great way to end my first year in college and set me up for another 3 (or 4) more great years at PITT.
This will be my last daily post, with a culminating one coming up shortly after this one. On this, our last day, I felt a mix of emotions. On one hand I was sad that I had to leave such a great group of faculty advisors and the Chinese friends I made, not to mention the fact that we were legal to drink, which always helps. On the other, however, I am happy to be going back to the best country in the world, The United States of America, to see all my friends from home and to get the rest of my summer started. It’s really great that I have three more months of summer before school starts back up again, but nothing I do the rest of this summer will top the last two weeks I spent in Beijing.
Over the last two weeks I’ve seen more historical sites and monuments and cultural things than I have my entire life. From the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square to the Pearl Market and La Bamba, these are memories and experiences that will stick with me throughout my lifetime. Even the company visits went better than I had expected them to. We saw some of the most innovative companies in Beijing, on the cutting edge of their respective fields’ technology, working hard to solve problems affecting not only China, but the entire world.
The most interesting part of the trip, and the part hardest to comprehend, was the culture shock. I knew going in to the trip that things were different in China, but just how different was absolutely incredible to witness and live through.
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