Hi! I’m traveling to Shanghai, China in a couple of weeks. I’ll be there for 8 weeks.
When I thought about studying abroad, I never imagined that I would be going to China, let alone Asia. When I was trying to figure out where I wanted to study, I realized I had never been to Asia. I’ve traveled to the United Kingdom and Australia. So I thought “I’ve never been to Asia before, let’s go to a new place with a very different culture.” That’s when ISA told me they could send me to China. This past semester I’ve been preparing to go to China. I had to get a credit card, figure out my phone situation, and try to learn a little of the language. I procrastinated learning Mandarin for a month or so but I finally got Duolingo to try to learn some. It’s been going well, although I do better reading in a language than i do in speaking it. I’m hoping that I’ll pick up more of the language during my time in Shanghai. There’s a lot going through my head recently. I know I’m going to change because of my experiences abroad, but I’m a little nervous to see how I will change. I’m also nervous about the culture shock because I know there will be a serious one as Chinese culture is so vastly different from my own. I know I will learn new things about the law, about Shanghai, and about myself. I’m sure that China will change me in ways I cannot imagine. I can’t wait to see where this new chapter in my life takes me.