Our lovely little journey to China has come and gone. People continue to ask me, "how was China?" My answer has been, "I love China!" The thing is, it is not that simple. You cannot begin to explain a country and its people to someone verbally, and pictures or videos just don't do the experience justice. My feelings about traveling continue to grow stronger after each trip I take. Travel should be mandatory, a prerequisite to living over the age of 25. How can anyone be expected to be empathetic or understanding of our world if they never explore it? I guess not everyone loves to travel but I feel this trip to the People's Republic of China has once again broadened my outlook on life and the people I share this planet with. I want everyone to have the opportunity to feel this way! I realized the vitality and immensity of where I was while standing in a dim classroom in Shanghai. It was 2:28 p.m., one week after an earthquake had caused catastrophic damage to parts of the country. Most of us stood by the windows of the classroom, watching the cars on the highway in preparation for the upcoming moment of silence. We all faced the West and for 3 minutes straight everyone stopped. For exactly 3 minutes, people all over China just stopped. It was during this time that the realization of where I was hit me. I had never experienced so much strength and hope. This is what the people of China exuded day after day. I felt what they felt in those 3 minutes. They wanted to pull through, to be great. They were great. I loved the Great Wall and the countless temples we visited on our journey, but I loved the people I encountered more. Next time someone asks me, "how was China?" My response will simply be, "you have to go."
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