Since being in China I think that my definition of the word luxury has changed drastically. The people in this country have a wonderful appreciation for everything that they have. The make the best of everything they have, and they don’t whine, complain or ask for more. Once I get back to America I think that I will have a newfound respect for the little things that we have in America that some other countries don’t. The little things that even some Americans don’t have. Like clean bathrooms, clean cloths and a clean city. There have been three major things that I have noticed so far the have really made feel grateful for the life that I have. First being the clothing. Throughout my time I in China on multiple occasions, I have seen an adult, on two different days back to back. And they are wearing the same clothes as the day before. One example is our tour guide in Beijing Lili, yesterday when she picked us at the Beijing airport for the last leg of our trip; she had on the same clothes as she does today. I don’t know if that’s because she doesn’t have that many clothes or she saved all the money she has for her children or what, but seeing that made clothing a luxury for me. The second thing is the schools. On this trip, among the students that traveled with me from Confucius Institute of Emory, I am one of four that attend a private school. And when talking about the kids my age here in China, the schools we have visited, looked more like jails. Locks on the outside of every door, poor living conditions, and classrooms with 60-70 students. It has made me realize how lucky I am to attend a school in the States, especially a school like Westminster. The third thing is that is that I am so grateful to live in a country where I am free. Free to think for myself and to act as I see fit. The more time that I spend, the more obvious it is that the people of this country don’t act before asking for instructions. They don’t think for themselves and only do as they are told. The words land of the free never made more sense to me. We truly are free. When I get back home I think that my definition of the word luxury will be different and think that I will carry myself differently as well. My experience in China has been an eye opener for me and I think most of the other kids too. We are lucky. 
