It took me a couple days before my brain really processed that the China immersion trip was over. After flying back to Chicago, I made the 12-hour drive home the next morning, spent 24 hours at home, then flew out to Seattle to move in for my internship. After all the cross-country traveling was over, it finally dawned on me that the trip I had been thinking about since the day I applied for T&M was all over. As sad as I was, that sadness was quickly replaced in my mind with some of the amazing memories I made on the trip. From seeing the Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, and Lion Garden, to exploring the cities at night with fellow T&M’ers, to trying new foods I had never even heard of, China was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. Looking through pictures of the trip reminds me of how excited I was to wake up every day. I learned something from every single place we visited and that’s something I can’t say about many other trips I’ve been on. From just the first company visit learning about the government’s role in BP with the SOE’s, to how Disney markets its films differently in China, I learned so much about how businesses function in China.
The most relevant company visit for me was Boeing. I’ve now spent two weeks in my internship here and been on some of the planes that are made from parts manufactured in the Tianjin Composites Factory. It is really cool to have been able to see that part of the process and is directly relevant to what I actually do every day. I’ve also gained some other skills from the trip that were more unexpected. I learned a few words in Chinese, learned how to order food with no pictures or translations, and (most importantly) learned how to barter with Chinese vendors. All in all, I’d consider that a successful educational trip!
In addition to seeing some amazing places (if I had to pick I think the water town had to have been my favorite) and learning about some awesome companies, this trip brought me closer to all the other members of class 24. I cannot wait to come back to campus in the fall to not only apply everything I’ve learned on this trip, but also to reunite with you guys! I could not think of 50 better people to have spent 2 weeks in China with and I will cherish the memories I made with you all for a lifetime.
P.S. the desktop picture on my laptop is now all of us at the Great Wall and I love it
Hoeft T&M Class 24: China Immersion 