Study abroad
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Week Fifteen & Sixteen: Saying Goodbye
I never thought snow would come to Shanghai, but it did! Christmas is kind of in the air here in Shanghai. Two weeks before my departure date was when I really began feeling excited to return home. But I also had this longing to stay too. After all, I did create a home and a close-knit group friends here. Words cannot begin to describe everything that I’ve been feeling. However, before we get into the final goodbyes, I should update you on my last weeks here. (Check out the bottom of this post for a gallery of photos) There were still a few things on my to-do list that I…
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Week Thirteen & Fourteen: Thailand
I cannot believe I only have a little over two week lefts of my study abroad trip! When I think about the very first day of move-in with all these what-ifs and questions brewing inside of me, it is crazy to think of how far I’ve come since then. I left off the last blog post with my wonderful trip to Disneyland. On Thursday of week twelve (December 15), I had to wake up very early to register for my winter quarter classes. Luckily, I got into all the classes I needed, and it makes me excited to go back. That afternoon, I took a walk by myself to Zhabei…
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Week Ten, Eleven & Twelve: Guilin Paradise and Disney Magic
Happy November everyone! I’m sure the days are getting colder over in the States. It sure is for me in China! This month, I’ve finally been able to pull out my sweaters and long pants. I will begin this blog post at the very end of October on Halloween. I was planning on going on for Halloween, but we decided to all stay in and watched a movie! So we all watched Saw, and it was my first time seeing this movie. It was a cozy night in. For Dia de los muertos, a Mexican holiday, my roommate put on some beautiful traditional makeup! After class, I had a class…
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Week Eight & Nine: Museums, Markets, Movies, Oh My!
Hi, welcome back! Honestly, October has just blown by, and it has been a wonderful month. I left you at the beginning of the second weekend in October. On Saturday the 13th, I slept in and relaxed. Then my friend, Faith, invited me to get my nails done on Yanchang Rd. So, I got ready for the day and headed out. There are many different types of stores and restaurants on Yanchang Rd. Mostly small clothing boutique stores, eateries, and drink stands. Many of these places are walk-up and order style. They don’t actually have an inside section for serving food. Lots of people prefer to order at the counter…
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Week Five, Six & Seven: Mogan Mountain
Happy October everyone! Fall is approaching quickly, the weather is getting colder, and I could not be more excited. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I have so much to tell you, so let’s get started! We left off on Thursday, September 27th. Friday was honestly one of the best days I’ve had so far. I had Chinese class in the morning. It was such a beautiful sunny day out I had to take full advantage. So after class, I met up with some friends at the little grassy park area, and we threw a frisbee around. A couple of them were talking about whether they were going to go…
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Week Four: Sun, Sand, and the Sea
I left the last blog post on Wednesday afternoon, so let’s start there. That Wednesday night I began getting ready for Frida’s 21st birthday party. She was working with a club promoter and managed to get a bus for all of us that would take us to a club called M2. Around 10:30 PM the bus arrived, and we all filed on full of energy and ready to dance. It was only a fifteen-minute drive, but for those several minutes we listened to some Latin hype music and sang happy birthday from our seats. We entered the club and were immediately given neon yellow wristbands. Then we embarked to the fifth…
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Week Three: A Piece of Heaven
I felt renewed and refreshed going into my third week of classes. My favorite class is definitely Entrepreneurship in a Global Market. Our end project is to create a business plan based on a hypothetical business idea that we come up with. I enjoy learning about how start-ups work, and his comments are very insightful. On Thursday, I took some of my friends to the fake clothing market. I was able to navigate the subway with no problems. They were counting on me to lead them there. I had a great time, just browsing all the cute styles and talking with my friends. I only got a few things, but…
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Week Two: A Little Bit of Turbulence
After a long first week in Shanghai, I sort of took week two to relax and reorganize. During the week my days mostly consisted of classes, homework, and finding a spot to eat dinner. Our campus is perfectly located right next to Yanchang Rd, a bustling boulevard filled with small eateries, cute boutique shops, hair salons, and best of all, tons of smoothie and bubble tea spots. I love being able to walk out of my dorm room and grab a cold mango juice which has become a favorite drink of mine. I am also enjoying the food here. I still have so much I would like to try, but…
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Week One: The Beginning
I did it! I have officially completed one week of my study abroad trip! The first couple of days were hectic, I didn’t ever have a moment to soak it all in. On Saturday, I stepped off the plane, grabbed my luggage and rode in a taxi to the university with no problems. Once I got dropped off, it began to pour, and I realized that I had no idea where to go. I knew I was close because the gates on each side of the road had signs with “Shanghai University.” Luckily, I ran into a group of students and one of the directors who pointed me in the…
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The Day Before Departure
Tomorrow at 7:00 AM, I will embark on a plane to Shanghai, China for four months. Now, I am nervously tapping my fingers on the table realizing I have less than 10 hours at home. For the last month especially, I have been grappling with a lot of different emotions. Mostly nervousness for the unknown. I find myself most content with life when I am enjoying the comfort of routine and the familiarity of my own surroundings. So the fact that I must live in a foreign country by myself frankly scares me. However, I’ve had to reframe some of my thoughts. While the unknown of this trip still perpetuates…
