A few months ago this trip seemed only a fantasy, a mere ripple in reality. And then, I found myself boarding the plane for a trip to the lush Shennongjia Mountains, to teach the kindest and happiest kids I had ever seen. Even now, I am still dumbfounded at what I did this summer. My name is Elizabeth Huang, and this is a story, my story of Shennongjia.

About two months before summer break, I was invited to join a group of kids in our community to travel to the Shennongjia Mountains during the summer. We would be teaching multiple subjects, and incorporating English into our lessons. Altogether, there were 4 subjects, English-speaking, Science, American History, and American Culture. Every subject was given two to three kids from our community to present around three individual units within. I picked Science, ideas already coming to mind. As for pairing, I partnered with a girl named Grace. I was intrigued. I had seen Grace around the community, but never got to know her well. It would be so exciting to work with a fresh face! Sure enough, Grace did not disappoint, over the duration of this trip, I am happy to say that she is a straightforward, honest, and hard-working person!

While working on the science units we would be teaching, I discovered through our first trial presentation that this project was not only meant to educate the children about science, or American history, but also a chance to interact with kids that lead lives on the other side of the world. It has always made me wonder what it must be like living in the rural parts of China. I’ve been to many Chinese cities, like Shanghai, Xian, and Beijing but never to the more rural, mountainous areas like Shennongjia. Based on stereotypical movies, I had always naively thought that people lived in wooden huts, had little access to the modern technology, and rode on horses rather than vehicles. So, it excited me that I would get the chance to witness and experience this culture first-handedly.