Today was the 2007 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Last year we had one team competing. This year we had three. With deadweek the week prior and Finals this week, it has been had on training. But we managed to make it through. I was definitely in better shape last year. One day, I’d like to run a full marathon. One step at a time, as they say.

This year was special as it was our last relay with the School for three of us. This coming Friday is our graduation and we’ll head in different directions from there. They say that the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is a celebration of life. It is. There’s a different mentality present amongst the runners, volunteers, and sponsors. It’s an amazing experience to be a part of and it truly is a reminder of all the great things in life: friends, family, love, and the human spirit.

In the last weekend of March, I attended VASCON3 and had the opportunity to share a room with a changed man that one day decided to take a chance at changing the world of people he didn’t even know. He decided to take a stand against human trafficking.

What can I say about this guy and his group of superhero friends?

I had a chance to hang out with him that weekend and talk about life, interests, projects, women, family… He’s not much different from you or I. He’s good at some things and not as good at others. Like everyone else, he doesn’t know what’s in store for his life but he’s going to live it the best he can and in whatever way he can, he’s going to try to give others that same opportunity.

It’s very noble what they do. Some people would simply look at the problem and walk away. They’ve decided to look for answers. It might not be much in the overall scheme of things, but I bet it means the world to someone.

If you have the time, visit their website and read up on their project. Whether you make a donation or not, your education on the issue of human trafficking is going to help them more than you know.

It’s incredible. What seemed like a “long time away” is now less than two weeks in the distance. There’s so much that has to be done before then, but I know it won’t matter once I’m on that plane. The Study Abroad Office at OSU has been a great help. I love talking to Gerri when I come in for my passport photos or to fill out insurance cards or scholarship applications. She’s always lively and looks like she’s ready to go. I bet she has a backpack or suitcase on standby.

I can’t believe we’re going to visit Tibet! That’s going to be amazing, especially if we get to travel there on the new train. I’m still having a hard time believing that they sell bottles of air on the train and in Tibet… Air… That’s eerily reminiscent of water and the difference between today and 20 years ago. Individually packaged bottled water was unheard of back then and if it existed, it was the cheapest of all the beverages but, now, it can be just as costly.

What I’m really looking forward to is interacting with the students from Nanjing Agricultural University. I would really like to visit an International Studies department and engage with students there. We’ll have to wait and see.

Being that this is my first entry into the Study Abroad – China category, let me give you an idea of what to expect. Each new entry will be accompanied by a photo or series of photos and a brief description. That way, if you’re pressed for time, you can get the gist of things. As for those that like to read, I’ll have additional text journaling my adventures from the pictures as well.

See you back next week… after my last presentation!