This week I had my first visitors to China. My son Harrison and his friend Gio came for a week during American Thanksgiving. I could hardly wait for them to get here! Harrison and I are good travel companions. We get along well, both have a sense of curiosity and adventure and I know that I have to feed him often or he gets quite HANGRY!

I had to work most of the week so I wanted to make sure that I had things organized for the boys when they arrived. Not speaking the language even in Beijing is a challenge so I asked my amazing Mandarin tutor Iris if she would act as a guide to the city for the boys for a few days. Monday and Tuesday the boys set off discovering Beijing with Iris. On Monday they went to Tian’an Men Square, Forbidden City and Hou Hai. They rode the subway, ate scorpions, chicken feet and some traditional Chinese street food. They were able to ask questions of Iris and deepen their understanding of the Chinese culture.

Monday night we did a food tour of the Hutongs with Untour. We wandered through the Hutongs stopping at many hole in the wall places for a variety of traditional Chinese dishes: dumplings, Mongolian Hotpot, Jianbing, Chinese hamburger, biang biang noodles,chicken wings and biaiju. We were fortunate to have Chang as our guide and we shared the evening with individuals from UK, Australia and USA. We had a rich experience filled with delicious food and wonderful conversation.

Tuesday the boys were exhausted and wanted to keep it simple before heading to Guangzhou for a few days so they went on a mission to find the very popular Kanye West Yeezy shoes. Iris being her patient self took them to Silk Street where they bartered for the best price for these ever popular shoes. Seven pairs later they were set!

Off to Guangzhou they went for Harrison to do some research for his research study he is conducting about migrant workers in China. I was a bit worried it would be difficult for them because lots gets lost in translation and I did not have my best experience when I went there. There were some minor difficulties with the taxi but other than that they returned unscathed and enriched by the experience.

Thursday evening we headed to the Great Wall. We decided to do a Home Stay at Great Wall Fresh that was about an hour and a half out of Beijing. I wanted the boys and myself to have a very authentic rural experience. We arrived at about 6pm and were treated to a wonderful dinner and headed to bed early in preparation for our morning hike of the Great Wall. We woke up early, ate a traditional Chinese breakfast and set off on our hike. We decided to take the “easy” route which was a three hour hike. We were in a very unrestored section of the wall and it was an interesting and at times challenging hike. We were the only three people on the wall for the entire time we were there. It was quiet, cold and windy but fun and energizing. We all really enjoyed the experience and especially the interesting path we carved on our way down. We returned dirty, scratched up and with a great sense of accomplishment! The boys both said it was their favourite part of the trip. We said good bye to our gracious hosts and headed back to Beijing rejuvenated.

Friday night we kept it simple a delicious meal of Indian Food with some of my friends and colleagues followed by a movie.

Saturday came very quickly and the boys had some last minute things they wanted to do before heading home: dumplings, iPhone screen repair, souvenirs and of course more Yeezys! We headed to breakfast and then back to Silk Street where they bartered again for a variety of items. We came home, packed quickly and I sent them off to the airport by taxi. It was easy to let them go knowing I would see them again in a month.

I think Harrison was surprised about the daily life I have carved for myself here. He was able to see and experience for himself some of the daily challenges we face: cultural and language differences, pollution, noise, traffic, mobility and the pace of life in a GIGANTIC city. I felt proud and happy that I was able to share this experience with him and to have him see that I have grown as a person and as an educator. It is important to me that I model for my children what I want for them. I want them to see themselves as capable of new and exciting adventures no matter the age or stage in their life. I want them to see life as an adventure filled with many rich experiences and to live their lives without regrets. I want them to find joy and purpose in their careers and to be passionate about their chosen vocation.

Coming to China was a big risk and a sacrifice for my family. Their support has meant the world to me and it is important that I make the most of this wonderful opportunity I have been given. I was so happy to have Harrison and Gio here. I wish they could have stayed longer but I take comfort in knowing in just one month I will see them again. I am really looking forward to heading home for Christmas and I always WELCOME VISITORS!