A hometown friend came to visit us in Shanghai for two weeks at the beginning of November. The last time I really knew Carlee, she was the other little blonde in my brother’s kindergarten class. They were really cute!
Sean has pretty much grown up traveling the world….the UK when he was 7, Singapore and India when he was 12, the Netherlands and Paris when he was 15, and China when he was 16 and 17 (not to mention Canada and Mexico, but Californians don’t always count that as extra countries :). Carlee on the other hand, is new to exploring the world, and until this year, had only experienced the exotic places via Pinterest :)
My mom mentioned Carlee’s thirst for adventure and the unknown to us, so we invited her to come stay. After a few months of getting the visa all worked out, Carlee hopped on a plane and flew across the world to see China!
Since she arrived on Halloween, this is how we met her at the airport:
Since she arrived on Halloween, this is how we met her at the airport:
We had a great time showing Carlee the sights, sounds, and smells (ok maybe not that one) of Shanghai. It was especially fun for Steve and I because it allowed us to be tourists in our own city, which we don’t actually do very often.
We took a Big Bus Tour of the city,
We took a Big Bus Tour of the city,
Explored Yu Yuan (gardens),
Brought her to our Oikos to Oikos youth group event and KTV (karaoke) after!!
Wandered down the boutique alleyways of Tianzifeng,
Shopped for art and Christmas presents,
Cruised on the river in the rain as the city lights turned on,
Introduced her to our favorite Chinese and Taiwanese food,
and reflected on life and future plans at the Global Leadership Summit,
and reflected on life and future plans at the Global Leadership Summit,
Oohed and aahed at the famous Shanghai Acrobats,
Sipped (free) tea at the Peace Hotel,
Gazed up at the giant silver Buddha at the Jing’an Temple,
Investigated a small water town (ok, a too-small water town, but it did have a pretty bridge),
Spent A LOT of time on the subway,
And we shot up over 100 stories to see the city from a bird’s eye view (which was one of my favorite things, because Carlee had SO much fun up there!)
Having Carlee here was fun because not only did we get to enjoy the city we live in, but we had the pleasure of seeing Shanghai from Carlee’s perspective. We were reminded of what it felt like to never have been on the subway before, experience a new culture for the first time, or travel alone in a big city. Carlee had an absolute blast, and she gave us a great new perspective on our life- one that has allowed us to reflect on all of the places we’ve been, the experiences we’ve had, and the blessings we’ve been given. What a healthy does of thankfulness we’ve experienced through having Carlee here. Not to mention that we formed a genuine friendship along the way :)
Carlee is about to embark on a new adventure to India! If you are interested in her travels, check out her traveling blog on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePonyTailedTraveler
Carlee it was so great to have you here! Thanks for being so laid back and watching Harry Potter with us :) We miss you like you miss apple soda!!!
Carlee it was so great to have you here! Thanks for being so laid back and watching Harry Potter with us :) We miss you like you miss apple soda!!!