Simple Synopsis

On July 5th I will get on a plane headed to China. I leave from Charlotte and fly to Chicago, then Shanghai, and finally Haikou.

I will be spending my first week or so in Hainan, enjoying the beach and mountains while getting an ‘orientation’ about the culture. I will be spending the week with my wonderful new friend, Isabella, who has been helping me organize all of this. She promises to give me a chance to work with Chinese kids, other volunteers (both foreign and Chinese), and be able to adjust to the culture a little. This will be a fantastic grace period for me (especially because the island of Hainan is dubbed “Chinese Hawaii”).

After this orientation I will get in a plane and head Northeast to Jinan, China. This city is a bullet-train ride away from Beijing. I will participate in a summer camp as an English teacher. I will be compensated for my time during the camp. Keep in mind- this part of my trip is a bit of a gray area. I know where I will be but I have no clue what I will be doing or the kinds of accommodation I will receive. This is where my open-minded, adventure instinct kicks in! I cannot wait to see what’s in store.

Following this summer camp I will fly to a different city (???) and do a similar camp for about 10 days. Again, with the promise of a monetary compensation. By now, it should be around the first week in August.

At this point in my adventure, I am a free bird so to speak. I will have two to three weeks of freedom to myself. I can relax in my apartment in Jinan, I can travel around the country and try not to get lost, or anything in between. ADVENTUREE!

I will close out this trip with ~10 months~ in Jinan, China (where the first summer camp was). This is where I will be officially employed as a supplementary English consult. I will be teaching a class of middle schoolers, making conversation in English and helping them practice. I will be provided with a dorm-style apartment and a monthly stipend for food, clothes, and miscellaneous spendature.