Caleb Tolbert China Trip 2017

My time in China was certainly spent making relationships that will last a life time. This being my first time returning to China since I lived there, something indescribable about the trip resonated with me. It was as if old memories and joys were magnificently restored, while at the same time new ones were made. 

My journey began with an early morning, batting tired lashes, and trying miraculously to make it to the airport at 6am to meet my teacher. Mrs. Zhang, my teacher, sure enough was there waiting for me and the other students to arrive so that we could check our bags onto the flight and leave for Detroit. Being a Sunday morning, the airport wasn't too crowded, but time was still of the essence for our small group. 

While checking our bags onto the plane, everyone in the group took the chance to become well acclimated with one another. (John Curry and I happened to become so well acclimated that the attendent checking our bags, mixed up our I.D.'s). Our group consisted of myself, Colin Snell, John Curry, Matthew Bulow, and our teacher, accompanied by her daughter. Together we said our goodbyes to our families and, following a prayer from my grandfather, we boarded the flight to Detroit. 

The flight was generally smooth, or bumpy, I cant remember. I do know, however, that I slept quiet well most of the way. Being only a three hour flight, we touched down in Detroit fairly quickly. In the airport, John and I did some exploring before seeking out food. We knew the next flight wouldn't be nearly as forgiving as the last, clocking in at approximately thirteen and a half hours. So, I packed some Flamin' Hot Cheetos in my backpack along with a Pepsi and prepared for the worst. 

As it turns out, that flight to Beijing was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The airplane was equipped with all kinds of media access and wifi access. In addition to that, we got to flight through two cycles of daytime, which amazed both my mind and my tired body. On the flight we were fed three meals, none of which were much to write home about, but hospitable to say the least. Then after having watched the Lego Batman movie four times, we finally landed in Beijing, China. 

The city was different from what I remembered. I soon found that to be because of both the time and position I was in in Beijing. When I had first traveled there I stayed in the polar opposite area of where we arrived on this particular trip. This meant I would get to see an entirely new side of Beijing, and it thrilled me. Also, being the summer, the weather made for lesser smog and more visibility from what I was used to having. Taking advantage of this new scenery, I made sure to do some sight seeing of my own around the city once we arrived at our hotel. 

John and I stayed in the same room, with Colin and Matthew in the room opposite us. It was fun having a roommate, but even more so because I finally got to be back in my "element," if you will, and could show him my reasoning behind loving China. In China I once again had access to Chinese apps, music, tv, and games, so I made sure to savor all of it. Today I still listen to and watch the media I took in while I was there, and my Chinese gets better constantly because of it. 

The day after our arrival in Beijing we were introduced to our hosts. My host family turned out to be the nicest people I'd ever met. They gave my the guest room, which thankfully had AC, and had food ready for me at home even before I walked through the door. In my room they'd set up a Chinese lantern over the naked light bulb, so that when it was turned on the room glowed red. It was a spectacular sight. With this particular host, I went to Calculus classes every morning for three hours. Now, while this wasn't my favorite part of the trip, I greatly enjoyed meeting Chinese students and seeing how summer school was for them. They welcomed me, sometimes laughed at me, but especially made me their friend and that made me feel great. 

Before we left Beijing I went to see a tea house opera with my host, which blew me away completely. It was like dinner and a show minus the dinner and plus bottomless cups of green tea. Performers performed balancing acts, the Chinese yoyo, and Kung Fu tea pouring. Overall, I left not knowing why my hometown didn't have one of those yet. 

Finally it was time to say goodbye to Beijing and board the train for Jinan, so, having given away gifts and said our goodbyes, my host family and I ended our journey as the train pulled off. However, it wasn't sad at all, I was greatly excited to see Jinan, for I knew it was my teachers hometown. That being said, I didn't know much else about what else would happen when we got there. 

Upon arrival we were greeted as if we were celebrities, bombarded with hugs and pictures from our knew host families. It was quite the sight. I learned then that I would be staying in three different homes along the short period of time we stayed there, and that night I went home with the first. 

This time my host was a girl of my age named Kiki. Kiki and her family treated me to yet another amazing dinner when we got home, and she even let me stay in her room while she stayed with her parents, showing how hospitable she was. Together we traveled what felt like all of Jinan, going to see scary movies, shopping, and learning about Chinese broadcasting. At the end of our fun, I went to stay at the next girl's house to continue the excitement. 

With this new host we met up with Matthew and John for some karaoke, swimming, and mother scooter driving. Over all it was exhilarating. They treated us as though we were just classmates, or old friends staying for the summer. By the time I met with the last girl who would be my host, I expected things to die down, but they only got better. Together, with our friends, we bought out a small theatre to watch La La Land (enjoyed more by the girls than the guys) and ice skated the days away. Saying goodbye to that faithful trio of host was hard at the train station, but once we'd left I knew those friendships would hold fast nonetheless. 

Once we arrived in Shang Hai the journey continued. My host family met me at the train station to drive me to their home. We stopped for dinner before checking in for the night and unpacking my things. In the home I was able to play piano and write up lesson plans for the next day when we went to a elementary school and played games with the children. They were incredibly sweet and happy to meet all of us in our group. We taught them duck duck goose while they taught us some fun Chinese games to bring back home. 

Over all I've brought back so much more than just games form this trip. The experience was one to remember forever, and I hope to someday return. 

Laufenselden and Beyond - John Preston

Exiting the plane in the Frankfurt airport after a 24 hour travel-day created a euphoric and yet awful feeling in me. I was in a foreign nation for the first time in my life but also there was no turning back now. I was in the lion's den. Stepping onto the tarmac and subsequently onto a bus which brought us to the terminal proper, my mind was stagnant. My fatigue made my brain focus completely on my next steps and how to not trip on my suitcase while walking. If I did harbor thoughts, they were of finding a bed, lying down, and sleeping until a point of rejuvenation. I knew secretly only one of two of those things would actually happen. We walked for what seemed like hours in the maze of the terminals, trying desperately to find even a bathroom let alone an escalator down. In the frenzy of the scavenger hunt, we found the one single elevator down to the parking level. As we descended, our thoughts were of our host family and whether or not they would be a proper family or a dysfunctional family. Anything could happen at this point. We rounded the corner into baggage claim to find a gaggle of people, loitering in the lobby, waiting for someone. They all seemed to simultaneously look up as we came in. The mass of people surrounded us with widespread arms and joyful "Goude"s, offering to take the bags of the weary traveler. All except me though. But then I saw them, standing at least 20 feet away from the horde. The Litzius's. I shuffled over to them, introduced myself, and wandered to their Audi. Sabine Litizius, Michael Rindfleisch, and Robin Litzius became a massive part of my life for the next three weeks. Together, we traveled the beautiful and ancient parts of the Rhine River from Koblenz to Ruedsheim to Eltville am Rhein. The lush and beautiful forests of Hessen were also deeply explored and their secrets uncovered. The old Roman forts from the Roman Invasions of Gaul in the 1st Century AD gave me a broader sense of Germany's great historical significance. However, the best part of my host family was not the trips but the hometown of Laufenselden. One would think that I was at the disadvantage, living 45 minutes away from my friends and the school, but I would argue that I had the advantage. The small village in North Hessen is home to around 2,000 people who are mostly farmers and shopkeeper. It was definitely a breath of fresh air to live away from the sights and sounds of the city. (Two pictures of Laufenselden)

Activity was a lot slower in the town. Shirtless farmers driving their tractors down the main road and bar maidens walking about the beer gardens, waiting for the next customer to approach. Every morning I went for a run in the countryside. The dew from the field grass being picked up by my shoes, the rancid smell of the horses trotting about in their pastures. Overall, my three weeks were amazing in every sense of the word from eating pizza at the Italian place with Robin to the amazing home cooked meals made by Sabine. The Humboldt Schule was also a very interesting school and I learned a lot about the language from the locals that will completely enhance my experience at MBA with German. I sincerely thank the Wilson family for this amazing opportunity to go to a foreign nation and learn about their culture and language. This trip definitely defined my summer and my German experience at MBA. It all came to an end though at the train station in Wiesbaden. Saying my goodbyes to the family brought a tear to not only my eye but Sabine's as well. She was the one person I talked to the most out of all the family. We talked about everything. One night at dinner, we even discussed the impact that pesticides have had on American crops and soil. It was sad to see her go. Munich was next on the list of things to see so we loaded the train and waited a solid 4 hours. We stayed in Munich for three great days full of walking, seeing BMWs, going to Dachau, eating at the Hofbrauhaus, wading in the Isar river, seeing the Bundestag of Bayern, and scouring the new Bayern Munich Soccer Stadium.

Our meeting place became Marienplatz due to its central location and many U-Bahn and S-Bahn stops. Vienna was next on our shortening list and we honestly did not expect much. The moment we were given time  to wander by ourselves, we saw the most beautiful city to date on the trip. The Gothic architecture of the winter palace, the beaming gold and stone statues in the Volkesgardens, and the small, elegant coffee shops littering the place. We walked for hours through the intricate streets where stores could be found and the like.  
The towering Stephansdom was our meeting place this time and it was always buzzing with activity. People from all walks of life buying Ice Cream and shopping for the newest Louis Vuitton bags. Vienna was a magical place full of picturesque landmarks and people. Truly an experience to be had. I was the odd man out because I did not leave with the group in fact stayed with my parents and went to Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Grindelwald, Switzerland. My journey ended in Vienna for the grant but the learning the experience has stayed with me. The sights I saw the the people I met will be close to my heart. My language skills have increased but also my knowledge of the world around me. I owe this experience completely to the Wilson Family and Mr. Paolicchi for this amazing opportunity.