Aside from all the wonderful experiences I had because of the program itself, the greatest experience of all was getting the chance to finally meet some relatives. Knowing that I had the opportunity to meet my sister-in-law’s family during our stay in Chongqing made me even more excited to reach this new destination. Initially I barely knew anything about my sister’s family and with only one of them knowing English, being with them was a bit uncomfortable and awkward to say the least. But that all quickly changed as I saw their excitement to meet me and they embraced me as if I was their own child. Despite the language barrier, I got to know all of them very well as we had a blast touring the streets to see the city and eating dinner together. One spot in particular we went to was Jiefangbei Square at the heart of Chongqing. It resembled Times Square in NYC. The rest of the night went unplanned but it was all still a blast.
The following night I got the opportunity to visit my aunt and uncle’s apartment nearby. They showed me around the house and the view of what I believe is Egongyan Bridge from their window. We spent the remainder of our time together around the living room table talking and taking pictures. It was all simple, yet so much fun. I appreciated getting to see more first hand of the lifestyle of locals in the city and comparing it to all other interactions I had experienced prior to this. More importantly, I am overjoyed that I spent these days with a family I never knew about. These days alone made this entire journey through China worth every second for me.

May 22-23, 2016