Hi Everyone!
As of right now, I am officially done with my study abroad program at UCEAP, and I’ve graduated UCI! The last week in Beijing was so hectic because of studying and packing. I also still can’t believe I am done with studying abroad. It almost feels like it was yesterday when I was feeling intensely anxious about going on my study abroad trip. Although these four months flew by extremely quickly, I will never forget the experiences I had there! I’ve learned so much about Chinese culture, and so much about myself.
Right after my last final, I quickly packed all my belongings (which took a long time actually..), and left for Thailand. Thailand is not so far from China, but the experiences I’ve had so far here are so much different from the one in Beijing. For one, I was in Beijing where the temperature outside was usually 0 degrees Celsius, and with one plane ride it’s feels pretty much just like summer. It’s about 30 degrees Celsius in Bangkok. After arriving to Thailand, I also realized how much speaking Mandarin was a part of my life for 4 months. I found myself speaking Mandarin here and there to my friends, or automatically translating what other people say in English to Mandarin. It sounds crazy, but I actually did that several times during the first two days!
-Jen