In the few days back from China I have been reflecting on what made this trip so different from others I have gone on. I have had the opportunity to visit Europe, Canada, Hawaii, and many other states for various reasons. Some for business and others for family vacations, road trips, and education. But this trip was quite different and I think I have finally figured out why. It was different in a way that made it one of the most memorable trips of my life. The main reason is that I felt like I really got to know the people. Usually when we go places it fun and everything because we go sight seeing and eat really good food but you never really get to know the people there. That's because the people of that country or wherever we go to visit don't usually spend their time at the sights. They spend their time doing what we do when we are home, rarely interacting with foreigners.
My experience in China was much different. The first big difference was that we had a local education leader and a couple teachers be our tour guides. They weren't the trained tour guides who tell everyone they meet the same thing. These people spoke to us differently. They wanted us to know what their way of life was really like. It was amazing and they became great friends I continue to keep in contact with.
Sight seeing was great and all but it didn't even compare to the experiences we had in visiting the schools. I already wrote about the children in the schools but visiting the schools was by far everyone's favorite part of our delegation trip. Not even the great wall of 3,000 miles could compare to the fulfillment we felt in the schools. Saying we were treated well is an understatement. Getting to know people in China on a personal level and seeing their education and way of life made my time there a true experience, one I will never forget.
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