This picture was taken at the end of a very long trip. It was my third time traveling, but my first time leading a group (my friend Matthew and I). We started our journey in Lijiang, Yunnan, where we met up with some longtime friends and had a chance to reconnect.

There’s a part of the city called Old Town—beautiful, ancient, and over 800 years old.

After spending a week there, we made our way to Ürümqi, Xinjiang. Upon landing at the airport, we noticed English was the fourth language listed. There, we met up with an American friend and his family. Living in an area like that can be incredibly isolating, and they eagerly welcomed us in. Some of the landscape looked like it was from another planet—hills rolling into mountains, with Martian-red soil beneath our feet.

To reach our final destination, Beijing, we had to take a thirty-hour speed train. We shared a hard sleeper train car with four elderly Chinese women. I had studied Mandarin for several months and tried to chat with them, which led to bouts of laughter from these sweet ladies.

Upon arriving in Beijing, we had to find our hostel. It was a torrential downpour, and we sloshed through the streets until we finally found it—glowing red lights in a dark alleyway. We grabbed a delicious meal, glad to be off the train, still feeling the motion of the tracks in our legs. That night, we went up to the rooftop and chatted with people from all over the world. The hostel only allowed foreigners to stay, which made for a truly international atmosphere.

During our final few days in China, we visited the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the Forbidden City.

Honestly, this picture is just a small memory compared to the immense journey. It was an incredible trip, filled with wild moments!