by Joi Jones and Sarah Parisien

Today was a an amazing day. We started our journey at the breakfast table, where we socialized and took pictures with local community members. Next, we all met downstairs at approximately 9:30 am to leave for the art district. The Art District is a beautiful neighborhood with tons of art galleries, street art, small cafés and museums. We were given some time to walk around and explore the neighborhood and to take pictures. The neighborhood is filled with light and colors that brought all of us joy. After that, we headed to a restaurant for lunch. We sat at two tables where we shared food and had enlightening conversation with our peers and mentors. Some of the food we ate was lamb, chicken wings, corn, noodles and so much more. It was delicious! Some of us had to use the restroom only to discover that this restaurant had squat-ies instead of the western toilet we’re so used to.

Next, we went off to see The forbidden city and Tiananmen Square. There we did a lot of walking including taking 11,000 steps total. There were so many rooms all around up and through the palace. We witnessed so many beautiful different views in art but also learned about the incredible and rich history as well. We all took some of the most breathtaking pictures that anyone could imagine but also we bonded and got closer to everyone along the way. Then, we saw the Imperial Gardens with so many fresh beautiful flowers. We were truly lost for words.

After this amazing but exhausting walk, we all headed to dinner. At dinner, we ate at a restaurant that was similar to the Imperial Gardens. We ate really good food but closed with our favorite the Peking Duck. In conclusion, today was a really good day, and we are all excited to see what the rest of the trip has to offer.