San Francisco, Calif. — I returned from China just over a month ago and looking back I realize how important that trip was as a way of closing my UCI experience with something memorable and significant. This summer was full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I graduated from UCI, went to China as an Ambassador for Peace, moved to San Francisco, and began graduate school at San Francisco State University in Ethnic Studies.

I try to look at my experiences in life to see how they have changed me as a person. Going on a trip to China is something I never thought I would do, and now there are so many more things I want to pursue that I wouldn’t ever have dreamed of before. Honestly, I would go to China again next summer if I could. I want to take all my friends and family and let them experience the exhilaration of what it is like to be half a world away from home. There were so many awkward moments, unexpected cultural misunderstandings, moments full of laughter and even a few tears – it isn’t something you can experience unless you take a risk and do something out of your element.

Everyone asked me, “Why would you go to China?” And my answer was always the same, “Exactly. I wouldn’t ever think to go to China. That’s why I’m going.” The unattainable and unthinkable dreams are always the ones you ought to go for. Where’s the fun otherwise? I want to truly thank the Legends of China program for letting me be part of something so historical, for allowing me the privilege of experiencing some of the best things China has to offer, and bring a few important life lessons back with me to share with others.

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