I don’t know if I can adequately express how wonderful our NYU trip to 1,700 year old Zhujiaji

I don’t know if I can adequately express how wonderful our NYU trip to 1,700 year old Zhujiajiao was!We left campus in the morning, and as we kept going further and further out of Shanghai, I saw more residential areas, farms, and natural landscapes. I couldn’t stop looking out the window and taking pictures. The song, “A Whole New World” came up on my iphone and it went so well with all the sights I was seeing that I teared up! It was really beautiful, and I hadn’t even arrived to the town yet. I felt so lucky, happy, and I knew I was having some of the best times of my life. It’s true when Jasmine sings, “Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling” because the things I see are amazing, and I can’t always express myself.We made it to the town and it was beautiful! We walked through a huge mansion and its sprawling, gorgeous gardens. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to live there so many years ago.The best part of the trip came next: the boats. We climbed onto these small boats and were rowed through the town, and it was magical! It was as if we glided through, looking at all the marketplaces, open windows, and everything else. After traveling through the canals, talking about how much fun we were having, we suddenly came upon a panorama view of tall temple towers and old buildings, and it was amazing! I really couldn’t believe I was there doing that.We arrived to our destination and had a delicious lunch full of the local cuisine. I had their traditional meats, jellyfish, different types of vegetables, basically everything delicious you could think of. We were full and happy.Leaving the restaurant, we arrived at an old post office that was used in the Qing Dynasty. It was pretty interesting! We were finally allowed our free time (or as our wonderful guide called it, “Freedom time,” haha) and we decided to walk around the market areas. We bought a bunch of treats, but I actually found Zhuge Liang’s fan! I couldn’t believe it, I have a replica of his fan! That had to be the icing on the cake for me, haha.I’m not sure how to describe our feelings at the time we walked around. We teased each other endlessly, laughed, tried on costumes, ran around, and were silly. I think I can describe it as “bliss.” Even those who don’t get overly excited about things were feeling good. This was much more than the average, nice field trip.Unfortunately we had to go back home. We boarded the bus and slept the entire way back. Arriving home, we asked, “Did that all actually happen?” It seemed as if it were a dream!I’m so happy and grateful I was able to experience this. This entire semester abroad has taught me so much and has given me so much happiness and I’ll never forget it. It’s like Princess Jasmine said, “I’m like a shooting star, I’ve come so far, I can’t go back to where I used to be”– I’ve been totally affected by this amazing experience here in China, and this will experience will always be a part of me. -- source link

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