Submitted by Alex Stein on the 2016 winter session program in China sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice…
What a month. From the coldest peaks of the Great Wall, to the heights of Ancient Chinese temples, along the warm coasts of Xiamen’s pristine beaches, and the valleys in a Chinese National park, it would be an understatement to say that I was treated to the program of a lifetime. My exposure to a culture vastly different from the one I am used to has been not only eye-opening, but outstandingly fun.
To embrace a new environment for a extended amount of time, especially one all the way around the world, requires that we are open to trying new foods, meeting new people, experiencing new customs and ultimately be accepting to the idea that life may be drastically different than what we are used to.
I return from China with a vastly different view of the world. I have now seen what life is like on the other side of the world. People shuffle to and from work on subways similar to ours. They visit monuments dedicated to their nation’s heroes just like we do, and even though we here in America, eat and sleep on different schedules, we do so with the same goal in mind. To live a life full of adventure and intrigue, and to experience as much on this earth as possible before our time is up. To be afforded the opportunity to see how the other half of the world lives was a privilege I don’t take lightly and one that I will remember for years to come.