Good morning USA! Greetings from Chengdu, China! Loving the different language, new culture, and new friends to match!

Had a great day with my new friends Jasmine and Judy! So grateful to @gmeochina for giving us the opportunity to interact and befriend local students! 

Completed my first day of university in China! So excited to immerse myself in the culture while learning about it simultaneously!

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all. 在逆境中绽放的花朵是最罕见和美丽的

Woman: So how did you two meet?
Jasmine: Destiny.
When I first heard of G-MEO’s buddy program here in China, I didnt quite know what to expect. Surely, the last thing I expected to happen was that I’d make a friend for life on the other side of the world. Jasmine has shown me so much love and kindness in the short month that I’ve known her, it feels like we’ve been friends forever. She calls us sisters! One of the biggest takeaways from my experience here in China is that while there may be a language barrier, no such barrier exists for compassion. It’s one of the many wonders about this country. I wake up a little more grateful every day knowing I get to experience more!

Blue skies and toned thighs.
Public exercise is very popular in China, where groups of people practicing tai chi are ubiquitous. Group dancing remains my personal favorite activity to watch in China! It’s common to see “aunties” lined up on the street corners and public squares, grinning as they move to the tunes blasting from their communal boom box. It’s no wonder they’re smiling, since they’re getting exercise and socializing at the same time! Maybe I’ll join them one day.

Spending my spring break living in a 4 star hotel while simultaneously exploring a foreign country….How was your spring break? 

Bonus pictures from our trip to see the Terracotta Warriors! I’m on a horse. (Fun fact: I’m standing on a pile of bricks to fit that armor)

A microphone AND a PowerPoint clicker in my hand? Seems pretty on brand to me. (just business student/singer things )
This week, Tencent, a multinational internet-based technology and cultural enterprise, invited me to introduce myself and present the topic of Easter to their Chinese associates! I shared the history of the holiday, how people practice it today, and what it means to me. We even got to play some games and talk about our differences in celebrations! It was so nice to share some of my culture and religion with people who are unfamiliar with it while learning more about other cultures simultaneously.
A quick lesson in cross-cultural competency: Anything foreign stays foreign so long as we are uneducated – that is why it is important to take the initiative to reach out and LEARN!  

Commencement on Friday was a blast!
It felt so surreal to have our commencement ceremony last week – a signal to the end of our adventures here in China. Despite the impending knowledge of knowing we don’t have long left, we celebrated in style with dancing, singing, and delicious food! I am so happy I got to celebrate this special occasion dressed to the nines with my program representatives, professors, supervisors, and close friends 

Writing about my last day in China has been very surreal. I have changed here. I have a made a second home of a foreign country, and made family of the natives here. Everything I once thought was terrifying or impossible, I have accomplished. I have grown to be truly independent, compassionate, and adapt to whatever life throws at me. I have learned lessons here that I will carry with me for as long as I live. I have made valuable connections and friends for life. Studying abroad is hands down the best decision I’ve ever made. Now more than ever, it is imperative we see the world through a cross-cultural lens, and there is no better way to do that than by exploring it.
I am so blessed to have had such an amazing support system of family and friends rooting me on from home. Now it’s time to come back as an even better me. So long China, I will be back soon for Chapter 2!

During my stay in China, I was able to receive an amazing internship with Tang International Project Center, a professional overseas networking agency, working on over 2000 projects a year with 8000 talent agents and over 23 countries. Here, I was able to get a taste of what marketing is all about, especially in a cross-cultural setting. I was in charge of the creation and upkeep of all social media platforms, preliminary research and input for unpatented projects, and Chinese to English translation.
As an honors Silberman College of Business student, it is so rewarding to take what I have diligently learned in classes and apply it to the industry I am striving to be a part of. Having a great education and a positive attitude are two of the tools I am utilizing to become a successful young woman in a constantly evolving field. So excited to see what comes next! 

A sum up of our relationship this past semester. I flew to China with a friend and came back with a sister. So blessed to have journeyed the world with such a kind individual. No one puts up with my antics quite as well as Dejah does!