Hi again everyone!
Finally I am finished with my own story. The first thing I can tell you is that I am in love with China; Xi’an, the peoples, the children, Baoxing, the food, almost everything. During the last week I have been watching all the pictures from our weeks in China. – I have to say that I am missing everything.
When we came back from China it was so nice to meet my dear family and friends again, but in the same time is a part of me still in China. I have got one dream since I was a little girl. I have been dreaming about to working as a volunteer. And now, just turned 18, I am back from two fantastic weeks in China from a volunteer job with a great friend. So imagine my feelings when I now am watching myself beside all the children! I wanted to be a volunteer, I was a volunteer, I am a volunteer! What a fantastic feeling!
The two weeks in China went so fast, and it is first now, three weeks after we came back as I start to realize what we have done! I will say that I remember every day and night in China, but there are some special moments that I will never forget;
When we went to the second school, just 45 minutes from Baoxing, the school had already closed, so we packed up all the books with help from only a few students and some older relatives. When we started our way back to Baoxing and our hotel, we realized that the principal/headmaster was following us all the way down to the little village down the school. She invited us for dinner, but since we were late, we said no. She continued to invite us. It may sound like a weird moment to remember but for me it meant so much. If a person became so happy and thankful for some books, then all the works regarding the project felt so worth it. For us in the western world is all these stuff a usual part of our life’s, but for these people, is the books something new. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to teach a bunch of YOUNG students without the right books, or without any books at all!
Another special memory is when we one day went to a large Tibetan school. In the same moment as we went out of the car lot of students gathered around. They started to laugh and point at us! I have never been “famous” before, haha!
All the time we spent together with Jenny and Jocelyn was something very important for me. I have learned a lot from them during our days together. I am so impressed about their choices to work with an important organization; they are travelling around the whole China every year to help children! They told us a lot of interesting facts about China, the people and the culture, they were also two really funny and kind girls, which made my whole trip in China easier.
All the time we spent with the young students makes me so happy. To see their smiles when we came and when all of them were carrying the books was great! It is in moments like that I realized how lucky I am in my own life; and how easy it is to give other people happiness!
I have now been home for three weeks, but one day won´t pass without me thinking about China. I have grown a lot during these weeks. To know that I am able to travel to the other side of the world with one friend, it feels great. I have been visiting villages and counties where people are living and studying in poor places. I have been traveling on roads that we in Sweden never would be using. I have actually helped so many children during my weeks, together with Tarlan and the team I have helped the children to a better future. I have also been lucky to meet such amazing peoples! Tom, Jenny, Jocelyn, Nicole and Belinda at the Library-Project, Jenny at Grycksbo Paper and people like Lisa and Ivy in Xi’an!
These are my experiences from my weeks in China. You will hear from me again!
Love, Jenn








