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Jaylah Goldson

A Whole New World

By Marriott Tianjin China Program
Sunrise

Nǐ hǎo/ Hello

It has been exactly two weeks since I have been in China, and so far I am having a wonderful time! I still can’t believe I’m on the other side of the world!

I’ve been to Downtown Tianjin, via subway and walked countless of kilometers. If you aren’t normally physically healthy, you will be in China. There is a lot of walking done here, so wearing comfortable, reliable shoes is important. I found that stretching in the morning really helps relieve soreness from the day before. Also eating the right foods helps with your body feeling good too! Light, portioned meals is something I see a lot of! But don’t worry, you will still be full. 

We are currently celebrating the Chinese New Year, where myself and a few others have decided to make the most of it by going to Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. Traveling to these different cities has helped with not only my physical health, due to all the walking, but my mental health as well. 

One tip to mentally stay healthy is not let little things people say or do affect you. Some days people will do/say something that you may not like or agree with, but you have the choice on if you want that to affect you. Being a black female in China with braids, has gotten me a ton of questions and stares that I try to answer as politely as possible. I don’t let it affect me because it’s a different culture, so I have to mentally keep reminding myself that the native people don’t see someone like me quite that often. It is however, still weird when people blatantly stare and take pictures. It’s a part of the journey, and I take it all in stride. Having a positive outlook can really help your overall day! 

Another tip I have, is to read/write daily, before getting your day started, and at the end of the day. Whether that be reading the Bible, reading or writing a motivational quote, or even journaling. I find that it really helps set and end your day on a positive note. I personally read my Bible in the morning and journal my day at night, so that the next day, I can look back and see how I felt about my day, and see how I can make my current day better. 

Overall, these past two weeks have been eye-opening on my personal growth journey, and I’m excited to be here! I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time here will hold. Until next time! 

New Year, New adventure

By Marriott Tianjin China Program – Spring 2020

Luggage

Nǐ hǎo/Hello,

My name is Jaylah Goldson, and I am a junior at FIU. This is going to be my second semester at BBC / Tianjin China since I transferred from Broward College. I am very excited to study abroad, as I never traveled this long and far by myself. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture and advance myself in my major in hospitality management.

This past year, I have dedicated a lot of time to my mental and physical health. Taking the steps to participate in this study abroad program was all in part of my continuous personal growth journey. This semester abroad will allow me the opportunity to challenge myself and think in a completely different way.

In preparation for this trip, I have dedicated time when I wake up, to do yoga or write down how I am feeling and what I want to get done for the day/week. I found that writing out my thoughts and planning my time efficiently, really helps settle any nerves I may have and helps me focus more. For yoga, I find a quick 10-minute video on the different poses and stretch out my body before I sit down to write anything. Personally, doing yoga clears my mind and helps relieve and extra stress I was feeling the night before.

Keeping with the theme of better health, I have researched A LOT on how the Chinese eat and drink. Room temperature water, teas, a lot of fruits and vegetables and overall eating light, proportioned, healthy meals. I have been incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet to help get accustomed to that way of eating. I’m still a sucker for sweets though!

I am very excited about this new experience. I have researched a lot, and I know I am mentally and physically prepared for China. While I will miss my family and friends, they are all excited about this new journey, just as I hope you are. Come along and follow me on this trip of staying mentally and physically healthy. Are you ready? New Year, New Adventure. Taking off in 4…3..2..1…

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