WEEK 3: NANJING

My first favorite excursion thus far has been going to Shanghai for a weekend. But since I essentially summed that over last blog, we'll talk about my second favorite excursion (and pretend it wasn't in over 100°F weather).

We went to Sun Yat Sen's tomb, as well as the Ming tomb. Dr. Sun Yat Sen was the founder of the Republic of China (not to be confused with the current People's Republic of China). He, and others, helped end the feudal monarchy system in China, laying the groundwork for a democracy.

Aside from my sarcastic comments, and though at the time I didn't enjoy it, two weeks later I look back and think about how this excursion was actually fun. I liked it because we were given time to explore on our own, but not too much so that we got lost or were simply fooling around.

That’s the thing about this program -- they give great balance between your own free time, and time to learn together as a group. Even if it weren't purposely structured to teach us how to be independent, it does so anyways.

We take about one field trip per week, and every single one is different. Some we visit classic historical sites, and some we visit the newer parts of town. From both, we’re given a golden opportunity to not just observe, but also to experience the culture. It’s truly a blessing to be here, and I plan to finish out the last week of the program with no regrets, learning as much as I can from what cannot be taken in at school. After all, the world is our classroom, isn’t it?

-Sarah H.

'Global Navigator Voices' is a collection of blog articles and pictures by our very own high school study abroad participants. Follow their adventures before, during, and after their experiences abroad!