I think if I kept track of the most frequently asked questions I get from people, this would take the bread: "So, why China?" 😳
Well, I never have a simple answer to that one, but let me try to explain:
I've been studying Mandarin since I was a freshman in high school, and here is the backstory of why: When I got into Punahou School, my mother took me to a Starbucks and guided me through a timeline of what my high school lifestyle would potentially look like. All on a bunch of napkins. We both didn't have printing paper on us, so we grabbed a bunch of napkins and lined them up in a row and just kind've went from there. I remember that moment very clearly...I was so full of excitement and passion, really thinking about what I wanted and the steps on how to get there. One of the steps being that I wanted to attend NYU, and study international business/relations/affairs. To go a step even further, I also had to decide what language to take, and I initially wanted to take Russian for some reason lol (but my school didn't offer it🤥) so my second thought was okay maybe Hawaiian, since I am of Native Hawaiian descent and wanted to get more in touch with my culture. However, with the career and major path I wanted to go towards, my mother and my sister (who minored in Mandarin at Manhattan University) both highly encouraged me to look towards taking Chinese. Initially I was like oh hell no I don't know sh&*% about asian language, but at the same time I was eager to take on that challenge...like why not?
Well fast forward to my freshman year and I'm thinking of quitting because report cards came out and I was not a happy camper. However, it was mainly because of my sparked interest in Chinese language & culture + my very encouraging and awesome teacher that made me continue. I was also not about to give up on something that I just started...like yea duh it's gonna be hard, its a foreign language. **Change and challenges are scary and can be super uncomfortable but sticking with it and following through can probably be one of the most rewarding things in your life...never be afraid to try new things!! You never know (and I never knew) how much it could reward you.**
Fast fast forward to sophomore year and I'm already getting bored of the regular classroom setting, and my interest in traveling was at a high. I went to my dean and asked if our school offered any studying abroad opportunities, and she went through a list of options of where I could go, how long I could study for, the tuition 🤒, where I would stay, etc. BUT these were all open for my Junior year.
Oh boy did I sign up for that as soon as I could.
I was so very happy my school even offered studying abroad opportunities like this. Now picking the location was a bit weird for me because I wanted to go to Spain (never been there before just thought that it would be a fun & a beautiful country to go to), but I thought again and was thinking to myself, "girl you better take advantage of the language you are learning now and go apply it there!" So I went with my gut and little did anyone know, Beijing China would be my Junior year experience...and boy what a crazy year that was.
With the amount of memories made, I could really link an entire photo gallery! But as I do more posts, you'll see more of my experiences all throughout China...so stay tuned 😎