A Whole New Experience (Last Entry)

Day 16 (January 15. Lasted longer than 24 hours because we crossed back over the International Date Line)

Instead of driving to the airport, we were able to take a Magnet Train, the fastest train in the world that travels about 420 km/hour. Our flight back to San Francisco was a few hours shorter that on the way because of a strong tail wind. As we boarded the plane, I couldn’t help but think of how quickly the trip had flown by. In the short amount of time I have been in China, I had done and seen many amazing things. Of the many opportunities I had in China, I was most thankful for the opportunity to try new things and for the opportunity to make new friends from all across the United States.
The man who sat beside me during the flight home was from Shanghai and worked for Intel. As we discussed the reemergence of China onto the global scene, I realized my understandings of the Chinese people had been wrong. I believed they would be oppressed and scared to voice their opinions, but that wasn’t the case at all. More than anything, they were just thankful. They were thankful for the food and jobs that the government had provided them with. The man on the plane said that he believes China and the U.S. will be the two most powerful countries in 20-30 years. I agree. As an American, I want to make sure we stay the most powerful country in the world. The only question is how do we do this? It is a never-ending debate, but I do know that in the future we will have to work closely with many countries. By doing this, we can all make the world a better and stronger place.
My trip to China was amazing! I will never forget all the things I was able to see and all the friends I was able to make. Most importantly, I will never forget the lessons I learned from the experience. These lessons include:

1.Appreciate the blessings of the United States
a. Right of ownership
b. Freedom of speech
c. Right to vote
2.Recognize the importance of governmental agencies such as the FDA, APHIS, USDA, and AMS
3.Importance of working with other countries
4.Think globally
5.Be thankful for clean air and great food
6.Never take for granted Southern Sweet Tea