“I will learn Chinese!” This idea jumped into my head. It was born of something deeper inside. The idea has changed my life completely. When other people asked me why, I often joked that I was inspired by the nice tank of goldfish in the Chinese restaurant my family frequented(频繁光顾) when I was young. In fact, I started studying it because I was always attracted to Chinese culture, and learning the language is the key to achieving my dream of travelling around China.

I was lucky for many reasons. Back in 2010, Chinese was not as popular with foreigners as it is today. However, my family lent me strong support from my first year abroad in China. Even if they cannot see me often and miss me so much, I still have their support. I was also very fortunate that a Confucious Institute opened. I will always thank for its excellent staff and all the great people I met there.

Ni hao! The word “hello” in Chinese was the first word I learned in my first Chinese class. After class I was filled with enthusiasm and couldn’t stop thinking about “ni hao” and all the new words yet to come. Not only were many more words and phrases waiting, but also the experiences I never expected.