This travel seminar was a really interesting experience for me. I missed the first session, so I didn’t know all the background or what the group had already talked about. Before the second class, I heard from my classmates and teacher. They said our quote analysis had gotten low marks. So I decided to prepare extra hard. I asked the seminar leader what questions we would be discussing. That way, I could come ready with my own thoughts. I also wanted to add more detailed analysis of the quotes we talked about.
The main question we explored was “Why do people travel, if everyone eventually dies?” This was the first time I spoke up a lot in a seminar. I felt good about sharing my ideas. But I stumbled over my last sentence. That taught me I need to practice organizing my thoughts fully before speaking. I want to keep my delivery smooth and confident next time.
The seminar itself was well run, especially by Grace. She kept the discussion going, asked questions, and made sure everyone had a chance to talk. That said, I noticed the other leaders didn’t participate as actively. I hope next time all of them can join in more. That way, the conversation will stay balanced and engaging.
For me, the main question of this unit is “why we travel”—really connects to a Chinese quote “Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.”读万卷书 行万里路 I wanted to mention this even though it wasn’t one of our assigned quotes.A video I watched in Chinese class showed an interview with a writer.He talked about his writing process. He said his stories only felt real after he traveled. He saw places firsthand and experienced different cultures. That experience gave his writing life and truth.
I think that’s what travel is really about. It lets us turn the ideas we read about in books into real, lived understanding. It expands our perspective and adds depth to how we see the world, even if life is short.