In exactly 24 hours from right now we are scheduled to be taking off from Beijing Capital International Airport en route back to the United States. It's a difficult feeling to describe because I feel as if I have learned so much about myself as well as a culture that is so different and yet so similar to the one that I grew up in.

When I first arrived in Beijing, the culture shock was indescribable. There are so many little things about China that are just so different from America. Nothing was familiar and I had to be incredibly flexible in order to fully adapt to life here. However, when I finally was able to adjust to the ways of Beijing, I was able to have the most incredible experiences of my life.

One of the best moments of my time here came during the opening ceremonies of the 2008 games. I was standing outside of the National Stadium waiting for all of the athletes to start the long procession into the stadium when I struck up a conversation with a 19 year old student at Beijing Foreign Studies University. The conversation began as any other. "Where are you from?" "What are you doing for the Olympics?" "Who's your favorite NBA player?" etc. etc. 

When the athletes started marching by we started talking about our expectations for the Olympics and how excited we were to get the games started. He was so proud for China to be hosting its first ever Olympics and was so honored to have world class athletes from all over the planet in his city for the first time. I told him that this was my first time in China as well and how honored I was to be so welcomed here and to be given the opportunity to volunteer at the Olympics. 

The fireworks started shooting out of the top of the Bird's Nest and more athletes came walking by. I was unable to conceal my excitement and looking around at everyone else on the Olympic Green, they weren't either. I turned to my new friend and told him, "This is the greatest thing I have ever seen!" I will never forget what he responded with. He simply smiled and replied, "Welcome to China."

The Olympics is an interesting experience. It causes so many problems for the host city, but at the same time can do wonderful things for it as well. As China emerges as a superpower among nations, the spectacular success of the 2008 Olympic games will be such an important aspect of its emergence. While I was here in Beijing to work, I did more learning. I learned about myself. I learned about so many other people. I learned about another country. I learned about more things than I can even count. For the past two months, Beijing was the most amazing, interesting, fun, and watched city on the planet. I am so honored to have been even a tiny part of the Beijing Games of the 29th Olympiad.