After a 16-hour flight I’m back home in San Diego. My year abroad has been filled with adventure, challenges, friendships and so much more. There are so many things that I learned abroad that would have been difficult to learn if I never left home.
My program is soon coming to an end in a couple of weeks, so I’ve decided to catch up on some traveling around China before it does. During a four-day school holiday my classmate, Anna, and I decided to travel to Shanghai and Suzhou.
Before leaving to study abroad, I was advised not to become involved in a relationship. I heard many stories about couples breaking up over long distance, students deciding not to study abroad because they didn’t want to leave their significant other or deciding not to study abroad at the last minute because they entered a new relationship.
School has started once again, so I’m back to my usual routine in Xiamen. I had a wonderful winter break backpacking around China; it was filled with adventure and great new experiences! I first started traveling with two friends, from China and Germany, and half way through the trip I started traveling alone. Even though it’s nice to travel with friends, I highly recommend traveling on your own for a bit, just for the experience. Continue reading “It’s China”
As I was riding the number 751 bus today, I couldn’t help but reflect about the first time I rode this bus. This bus goes directly from Siming campus to Xiang’an campus of Xiamen University. Continue reading “Bus 751”
Before coming to China, I had a rough idea about what I should pack. Now that I have been living in China for a couple of months, there are definitely some things that I wish I packed more of or wish I had brought with me. So I decided to pass on this knowledge to you all – just in case you ever decide to study or travel in China. Continue reading “7 Things You Should Bring to China”
The last two weeks have been tough. I was busy taking exams, meeting deadlines, and then taking a little visit to the hospital. I had some stomach issues for a couple days and I needed to go to the hospital to obtain some medicine. Right after I took my exam, I headed for the city’s main island. Continue reading “Checking Up on Life”
Ní hăo! Those were the only words I knew in Mandarin Chinese when I landed in China for my one year exchange program at Xiamen University. The language barrier became more and more apparent each day I spent here. Each simple task, such as ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions or shopping, became a whole new adventure of its own. Continue reading “Conquering the Language Barrier”
Culture shock. You’re bound to get it sooner or later while studying abroad. In these past seven weeks I’ve experienced quite a bit of it myself, and so has my friend, Frida.
In this video, Frida and I discuss three main culture shocks: WeChat and blocked websites, taking pictures and staring. But it doesn’t end there! We are constantly being surprised! Continue reading “Culture Shock: Part 1”
Hello all! I just finished having a week off from school and am now back to my daily routine.
During my holiday, I did some exploring around Xiamen and Quanzhou, which is 25 minutes away from Xiamen by train. Continue reading “Time to Explore!”
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 