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Day 1 of Week 2 Blog Post (Jacob Thillemann - EMT Fire Sciences)
April 25th, 2026
On this wonderful Saturday morning the Chinese Sun strongly welcomed the group to prepare for the day ahead.
The agenda for the day consisted of fun physical activity in the morning, the closing ceremony and gateways school presentation in the early afternoon, then finally embarking on a train to Wuhan.
Upon arrival to Huzhou College, the group was greeted by each one’s Chinese student counterpart and beginning the day with a tour of the history of the school.
Day 2 of Week 2 Blog Post (Azaria Thompson - Liberal Arts)
April 26th, 2026
After a long train journey, we arrived in the city of Wuhan, which has a population of 13 million, larger than any American city. Tall skyscrapers stretch for miles, and the city lights dance across the streets. This bustling environment is unlike anything we have experienced so far on this trip.
After leaving our hotel this morning, we arrived at the largest lake in Wuhan. The lake is surrounded by a beautiful walking path that we explored, with some of the tallest buildings I’ve ever seen towering nearby. Along the path, many people were cycling, sightseeing, and running. Our group walked together, taking pictures and soaking in the scenery. In addition to the lake, there were many plants and temples to admire. We even saw a hot air balloon floating over the city. The whole group got some fresh air and great exercise before our other events for the day.
Day 3 of Week 2 Blog Post (Nick Donaldosn - IT Software Developer)
April 27th, 2026
In the morning I was feeling tired after re-adjusting the hotel situation, but I am ready for what will come next! (Even guys like us enjoy selfies on trips like these!)
We got down to the lobby of the hotel at 8: 40
We walked down the street and passed many commerce stalls. I walked there during the night and it was lively with people and activity. There was so much food that was available and it smelled very good. The smell of the oil and spices was strong and made me want to get something. Then we finally got to the gate where we took a group photo and met with people from the university.
Day 4 of Week 2 Blog Post (Semiah Actkins- Liberal Arts)
April 28th, 2026
The third day in Wuhan has begun and we have a jam-packed day with presentations and sports at the beautiful Wuhan Open University. The Chinese sky filled with rain affecting our ability to walk to the university. Once we arrived at the school, we were greeted by the outgoing and friendly business teacher Larry.
Today was our travel day from Wuhan to Shanghai. It honestly feels weird writing that because it feels like we just got to China, but now we're already heading to our final city before going home.
Thoughts: Time really does fly when you're having fun 😭
8:45 am:
We finished packing up our luggage, checked out of the hotel, and loaded everything onto the bus. Weiting was once again making sure everyone had their train tickets and knew where they needed to be. I don't know how she kept everyone organized because there were a lot of us and a lot of luggage, but somehow she always made everything look easy.
One thing I've noticed throughout this trip is how much planning goes into traveling around China. There are so many people everywhere, but everything somehow keeps moving.
(Mireya Cervantes – Electromechanical Maintenance)
Today was our free day in Shanghai, China. After many days filled with educational activities, cultural experiences, and university visits, it was exciting to have an entire day to explore one of the world's largest cities on our own.
We began our morning by taking the train from our hotel into downtown Shanghai. Riding the public transportation system was an experience by itself. The train stations were very modern, organized, and incredibly busy. Even with the large number of people traveling throughout the city, everything moved efficiently. It was impressive to see how many people rely on public transportation every day.
Today was our final day in China, and it was hard to believe that two weeks had already passed. Since our flight home was later in the evening, we had the morning and early afternoon free before returning to the hotel for our 3:00 P.M. departure to the airport.
As a group, we decided to make the most of our last few hours by taking one final trip into downtown Shanghai. We wanted to visit the Shanghai Tower and experience the city one last time before beginning our journey back to the United States.
Walking through Shanghai's financial district again reminded me of how impressive the city truly is. The skyscrapers seem to stretch endlessly into the sky, and each building has its own unique architectural design. As someone studying Cybersecurity, I naturally appreciate technology, but being surrounded by engineering and construction on this scale gave me an even greater appreciation for how different fields work together to create cities like Shanghai.
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