.png)
Oftentimes, I look at my experience in China and I feel like I signed up for the "Biggest Loser." Between eating healthy and going on various
adventures with my class, I think I am getting in the best shape of my life. We are currently in Beijing and today we climbed up a section of
the Great Wall. Pictures do not do the Great Wall justice. Once you begin the trek up the wall, you immediately question how the soldiers
could stand to climb to their posts each day. The wall is much steeper than I imagined.
Before Beijing, we visited Xian. So far, Xian has been my favorite place we have stayed during our trip. On our second day in Xian, we biked the 9 mile perimeter of the Xian City Wall. The city wall provides an excellent view of Xian. As we rode our bikes around the wall, many random people took our photos or flagged us down to be in photos with them. It is becoming a normal daily occurrence to have someone stop us
for a photo opportunity.
Well, we climbed the Great Wall and biked around the Xian City Wall, but this was not our greatest adventure. On our free day in Xian, some of us woke up before sunrise and took a bullet train out to Mt. Hua. Mt. Hua's highest peak is over 7,000 feet. Somehow, I made it to the top. The climb was exhausting, but worth the view and fresh air at the South Peak. I promise I will never complain about stairs ever again when I come home to America.
Janna Imel, of Greenup County, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is studying psychology and political science.