"Until the Next Adventure....The Final Entry" - Tom Triplett

We have been back from China for about a month now. I am still basking in the glow of that amazing experience. I am almost embarrassed to admit that the trip to China was my first trip across either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. I don't think I could have scripted a more amazing adventure for my first trip so far from the comforts of Upstate South Carolina. People always tell you that travel abroad is such an enriching experience and I have always agreed, even based on my limited foreign travel experience to South America, but my China experience has changed me forever. We were only in China for two weeks, much too short a time for a country that is massive in so many ways, and I want to return to continue my education. I am amazed at how differently I read articles about China now and how my attitude toward stories on the news about China has changed. As I wrote earlier, Furman students who take advantage of our Asian Studies departments are very fortunate to study and travel with such bright and passionate faculty members. I have always considered myself one of the luckiest people I know and the way this trip turned out continued that trend. Our group was compatible, adventurous, diverse, fun and passionate. The conversations we had on various topics about China could not have been scripted. I learned so much that sometimes my head hurt. We bid farewell to Kate and our national guide early in the morning on May 29th and had three close connections all the way our final connection in Atlanta 18 hours later, but all of us made it safely to our destinations all richer because of our individual and shared experiences. I am looking forward to my next adventure with Furman travel.