I’ve been back in the states for a few days now, and I’m taking some time to reflect on the past 8 weeks I spent in Beijing. The last few weeks went very well as I was able to find the perfect number of individuals interested in participating, and collected the data I needed to conclude the study. It went by so quickly, and I’m still shocked to realize it’s over and I’m back home! It almost seems like a dream now.

There are so many things that come to my mind when I look back, because the experience was truly life-changing. And so it’s hard to sum everything up in a paragraph or two…

Through this opportunity, I was able to do many things I didn’t think possible, and gained a sense of independence that I did not have before. Although I’ve studied and lived abroad before, I’d never really done anything like this, and so of course, while I was extremely excited, I was also a bit worried about how things would turn out. I believed I could do it, but I knew there would be obstacles along the way, and wanted to prepare myself to face and resolve them when they did come.

The experiences I encountered both in the lab and outside exploring were unforgettable; I made many friends along the way, shared many delicious meals with good company, viewed famous locations I learned about in my high school history classes, met up with old friends and went exploring in places like 往附近 and 三里屯, found a rink to skate at where I met many incredible kids, and learned a lot about the world of research. This experience was truly one of a kind, and I couldn’t have asked for a greater opportunity. These past weeks taught me about Beijing; the people there and their stories. It taught me about myself, and what I could accomplish if I set my mind to it. It taught me about the power in exploration, and about the importance of patience and curiosity. I learned more through asking questions and listening to the experiences of the other students in the lab, Eric and Gloria (my fellow Penn State PIRE grant recipients), and Dr. Guo (郭老师).

I could go on forever about the things I learned, the inspiring people I encountered, and even just the feeling I got walking through the 胡同 (alleyway) at the beginning and end of each day. Whether it was a day filled with testing participants, a day of exploration and some skating, or a day with a little bit of everything, there was something about strolling through the alley-as the residents went about their business selling goods, playing card games, or just enjoying each other’s company-that I’ve never felt before and don’t think I’ll feel again.There was truly nothing like this research and travel journey, I hope to take the knowledge and perspective I’ve gained and use it in my future endeavors, and I’m grateful for the chance to do just that.

I want to express my deepest thanks to NSF PIRE for this wonderful experience. I am so appreciative of this opportunity that Penn State and NSF make possible. I cannot wait to analyze the data and look into what it shows!!