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By Meghan Waters, Class of 2014
Thursday, June 13, was the day I’d been waiting for. That was the day we finally got to climb the Great Wall. It was definitely one of the greatest experiences of my life. Was it hard? Yes. Was it hot? Yes. Did I have to stop several times? Absolutely. But it is a memory I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Most people can only read about the Great Wall; I’ve seen it, touched it, and climbed it. To me, that is invaluable.
Equally invaluable is the fact that I experienced the Great Wall with my class. It was an honor to finally take the traditional Great Wall group photo with them. Over the past few weeks I have learned so much about my classmates, and I have witnessed what an incredible group of people they are. Personally, I was extremely hesitant about coming on this trip; I had never been out of the U.S. for more than 12 days. But except for one bout of homesickness, I’ve felt completely at ease. I’m truly thankful for my class’ company and their concern for me and everyone else. And even though I’m ready to return to the States, I have enjoyed every bit of this trip. So thank you to my classmates, to Senator McConnell, to the McConnell Center, and to the University of Louisville for giving me the trip of a lifetime.
Meghan Waters,
of Campbell County, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar at the
University of Louisville. She is studying justice administration,
political science, and classical languages.