In Chinese proverb, there is an old saying: “It’s better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books”. According to my understanding, this means that although books can bring you knowledge of all kinds, going out and seeing the world can bring you a kind of experience that is irreplaceable. Therefore, after finishing the first two years of my bachelor's, I decided to go out and see the world.
During my study in Wuhan University, I took part in three different international programs organized by WHU Office of International Affairs. To me, these programs were just like a long journey around the world, each of which showed me its own obsession, and at the same time, offered me a new and fantastic view of the world.
First Stop: Modern Blue
The very first program I took part in was the international program between Wuhan University and the University of Pittsburgh. Reflecting on my first trip abroad, I would say it was full of amazement. Everything in the United States was completely new to me-- from the clear blue sky, to the forest of skyscrapers in the center of Manhattan. Drivers would always let pedestrians go first. We no longer need to bring tissue with us when going to the bathroom. The United States leaves nothing to the imagination to showcase its state of modernization throughout our journey in New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
Since this is a program about American culture, I have, for the first time, learned about the history, politics, and culture of the United States from the point of view of the locals in the University of Pittsburgh. We also got the opportunity to take part in some courses together with the local students, and even carried out our own research there. Before the end of this program, all students and teachers who took part in this program had become very good friends. The friendship, together with this precious memory, will be treasured for the rest of my life.
Second Stop: Nature Green
A year after the first program, I luckily got another chance to join the Summer English Language Program held by Brock University, which lies in a small city called St. Catharines near Lake Ontario in Canada. Unlike the United States, the place I stayed in this time was a bit far away from major cities. Therefore, during this program, apart from a good improvement in my English, I also totally enjoyed the embrace of nature.
The house of my homestay was surrounded by trees and flowers. Occasionally, I would encounter squirrels and rabbits in my homestay’s garden. I also visited Lake Ontario and the Niagara Falls several times during my stay there. It was, for the first time in my life, that I witnessed a lake overpowering the landscape at a scale that is comparable to the sea--so wide and peaceful. As you watch the sunset by the lake, sitting on the big logs with your feet buried in the silky smooth sand, everything seems so serene and harmonious. On the other hand, the Niagara Falls would impress you through the sheer power of nature. Standing in front of the fall, I felt infinitely tiny as a human confronting the entirety of this landscape.
Third Stop: History Brown
Finally, I took part in the Chinese-Austrian EU-Summer School program with participants from several different universities in China. Together we investigated the unique organization, European Union, as well as the culture, history and politics of Europe, especially Austria. When talking about Europe, the first thing that comes to my mind is the marvelous works of art and historical architectures. Thus, the thing that left the deepest impression on me during this program were those great museums and buildings that we visited, such as the Louvre, the Schönbrunn Palace, the house of Mozart, the Notre Dame de Paris, etc.
It was a great experience for me to see the exquisite brush strokes of those famous paintings, and to feel the stone and flower-stained windows of those gothic cathedrals. During our visit, it was just like a conversation with those great masters through time and space. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Monet, Edgar Degas, Van Gogh… their masterpieces were so beautiful and impressive, as if they were standing right in front of you. Together, they formed a huge book of European history which you could touch with your own hands and see with your own eyes.
Never hesitate to give yourself a chance to go out and see the world or you will never know what you have missed. You will gain not only precious friendship and experience, but also a new fantastic point of view about the world around you. A broadened horizon and an open heart would, no doubt, benefit your study and future life. So just pick up your luggage, choose an international program that fit your interests, and enjoy your own journey. A whole new world is just waiting for you to explore!
New York—the magnificence of a metropolitan.
A Skyscraper in Manhattan.
The Niagara Falls
Sunrise at Lake Ontario.
Le Notre-Dame de Paris
Le Musée du Louvre, Paris
(Edited by Wu Siying, Edmund Wai Man Lai and Hu Sijia)
