{"id":14589,"date":"2017-09-10T22:17:48","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T03:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/goglobal\/?p=12046"},"modified":"2017-09-10T22:17:48","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T03:17:48","slug":"beginnings-in-beijing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/goglobal\/?p=14589","title":{"rendered":"Beginnings in Beijing"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been in China for almost a month. And I\u2019ve never been happier. I keep saying it to everyone I know, but I cannot help it. I feel like I\u2019m flying, moving through my days with an aura of joy surrounding me, leading me into another hour of exploring the beauty this country has.<\/p>\n

When I first arrived in Beijing, on August 13th, I expected to feel uncomfortable, out of place, shocked by the difference between the Chinese culture and the Western cultures I\u2019ve grown up in. Instead, I felt curiosity,\u00a0admiration, joy and welcomed into a community that in less than a month has become my home. I\u2019ll admit I felt a little lost walking around the University of International Business and Economics, but I didn\u2019t mind. Because I got to see a small lake in the middle of campus, cute hole-in-the-wall restaurants, little shops next to tea stands, and people walking around like myself, unafraid of not being in the right place.<\/p>\n

I had about a week to explore UIBE and its surroundings, getting lost more times, visiting the Olympic Park and Tiananmen Square, eating more dumplings and noodles than I thought I was capable of, and struggling to find milk for my morning cereal, deciding to settle for delicious milk tea instead.<\/p>\n

\"\"After a wonderful week in Beijing, visiting nearby bars and parks, we started our adventure on the Silk Road. Never in my life have I felt as fulfilled as on that adventure along the whole country of China, which took me to busy markets in the cities, small restaurants in the South of China, a stargazing night in the desert, a camel ride to watch the sunset, beautiful mosques and temples, and to learn about different cultures within one of the most interesting countries in the world. I spent two weeks sleeping in 14-hour trains, after having brushed my teeth with bottled water just to be safe; living out of the same four t-shirts and pair of pants; eating so many different dishes I couldn\u2019t name them all; writing about my long days, all full of color and joy; and getting to know the people I will be spending more than three months with.<\/p>\n

Now, back in Beijing, all that I lived and saw on the Silk Road feels like a dream, like it happened to someone else. I\u2019m looking at the pictures and my throat is closing because I am so lucky that I had the chance to travel so much and that I still have endless sunrises and sunsets left in Beijing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been in China for almost a month. And I\u2019ve never been happier. I keep saying it to everyone I know, but I cannot help it. I feel like I\u2019m flying, moving through my days with an aura of joy surrounding me, leading me into another hour of exploring the beauty this country has. When … <\/p>\n

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