Episode 1
Teresa Ling & Alex Urasaki
In classic last minute-packer fashion, I started my morning scrambling to throw whatever I thought I might need for my two-week excursion in Beijing. With my luggage in one hand and my UW pillow pet in the other, I set off for the airport. After breezing through security, I found myself with two hours to spare before the plane would begin boarding. At gate S2 I was joined by another handful of my HPA peers. In search of Starbucks and clam chowder like true Seattlelites, we hopped back on the tram to return to the main terminal. Coincidentally we found another group of our HPA peers at none other than Starbucks. We headed to the main terminal to get clam chowder and watch planes take off, the latter of which was a first for many students.
As the 4PM boarding time neared, we made our way back to gate S2 where we took the first of many group pictures to come. We shuffled one-by-one onto the plane and sat eagerly waiting for takeoff.
Where the story goes from here is different for each individual. I don't just mean the movies we watched, our feelings towards airplane food, or the quality of sleep we received on the plane. But this was the beginning of a two-week adventure that will mold the lives of 19 current Huskies, 19 incoming Huskies, and 9 GIX innovators in one form or another. Whether we're changed by our interactions with people from another culture or impacted by the rich history of Beijing, something will be different two weeks from now. Maybe after being blasted by the humid and smoggy Bejing air as soon as we exited the airport will teach us to better appreciate the clean Seattle air. Maybe the inability to drink anything other than bottled or boiled water will allow us to be thankful for clean tap water back home. Maybe the dangers of crossing city streets in Beijing will push us to be grateful for courtesy towards pedestrians in Seattle.
Although we're all following the same itinerary, our experiences will be different and our perspectives will vary. Our first day of the HPA program was straightforward: an 11-hour plane ride, a struggle to exchange currency at the airport, and a bus ride to the hotel. But this is only the beginning of what will surely be an unforgettable adventure.
