Name : Ariana Murray

姓名：Ariana Murray

Country of Origin : United States

国籍：美国

Occupation : Educator

职业：教师

Years in China : 1

在华居住时间：1 年

My journey in China began back in 2018, when I saw a flyer at my university to study abroad for one semester. At that time, I recently won a prize to receive a free passport through a drawing so it just made sense to apply. When I applied I wasn’t thinking I’d actually get selected but come fall semester 2018 I was on the plane to Harbin, China with 11 other students from my school.

我的中国之旅始于 2018 年，当时我在大学看到了一张传单，内容是出国留学一个学期的项目。那时，我抽奖获得了免费护照，所以我才申请了这个项目。我申请的时候，万万没想到真的会被选中。到了 2018 年秋季学期，我和同校的 11 名学生搭上了飞往中国哈尔滨的航班。

As my semester was coming to an end I had this deep feeling of nostalgia. This feeling lingered as I went on to finish my bachelor’s degree shortly after my return. Bachelor’s degree now complete, I had thought what’s next for me? I then began looking for programs that would lead me back to China. I thought if I just get back maybe this feeling of nostalgia would finally disappear.  I finally found a program that was perfect for what I was looking for. It was an Au Pair cultural exchange program where I would live with a family here in China and learn mandarin. The rest is history.

我的学期即将结束时，我依然怀念在中国的学习生活。回国后，我继续完成学士学位，这种感觉一直挥之不去。获得学士学位的我开始思考接下来要做什么。我开始搜索能带我回到中国的项目。我想，如果我回到中国，也许这种怀念的感觉最终会消失。我终于找到了一个非常合适的项目，这是一个国际互惠生交流项目，我将与中国家庭一起生活，学习普通话和中国历史。

At the time of my Au Pair program, I was living in Hangzhou, China. I love how beautiful that city is. It has so much history and a lot more diversity than I had ever imagined. I really enjoyed the tea houses, museums, and the many mountains making the air so fresh. China as a whole country has opened my eyes to how big it really is, feeding my desire to travel and see more. Moving from Hangzhou to Shenzhen has changed my lifestyle from more of a slow pace, to a bright, fast city lifestyle. I must admit I enjoy both sides of this spectrum that China has offered me.

国际互惠生项目期间，我住在杭州。我喜欢这座美丽的城市。它有着悠久的历史以及超乎我想象的多元文化。我真的很喜欢茶馆、博物馆和诸多让空气变得清新的高山。我领略到了中国幅员之辽阔，让我得以行万里路，欣赏别样的风景。从杭州搬到深圳，我的生活节奏由慢变快。我必须承认，我喜欢在中国的生活，不管是慢节奏，还是快节奏。

There are so many things that piqued my interest about China. From the efficient subway stations, to the convenience of having everything you need in the palm of your hand. I also found the process of selecting an apartment is commodious, even for foreigners. Lastly the way the language has so much history behind it. Studying mandarin for year, has taught me so much about the culture itself.

从地铁站的高效到到生活触手可及的便利，有很多事情激起了我对中国的兴趣。我还发现选择公寓的过程非常方便，即便是外国人也是如此。最后，中文背后蕴含着深厚的历史，学习普通话一年，我学会了很多关于文化本身的知识。

Living with a family from China was such a beautiful experience that not many can say they have done. They willing opened up their home to me and I am forever grateful for that. Learning how to properly use chopsticks, trying new Chinese cuisines every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner to experimenting with calligraphy classes and more. It truly made that 15-hour flight worth it.

与中国的家庭一起生活是多么美好的经历啊，很少人能拥有这样的机会。他们愿意敞开家门欢迎我，我永远心存感激。我学会了如何正确使用筷子，一日三餐尝试做不同的中国菜，试着学习书法等等。这样的经历让我觉得，15小时的飞行是值得的。

One thing about my hometown is the local university called Beloit College. It is the oldest college in the whole state of Wisconsin.

在我的家乡，有一所大学名为贝洛伊特学院，是整个威斯康星州最古老的学院。

作者：Ariana Murray 翻译：潘泽彬

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