Two words: Mt. Tai. I have never seen something so astonishing in my entire life. Climbing Mt. Tai was hands down the most phenomenal experience of my twenty years on Earth. That is not an exaggeration.

It was such a challenge and such a struggle to climb up 6,500 steps, but when I finished, I felt like I could conquer the world. We all encouraged each other and pushed ourselves. We even made some Chinese friends along the way! We kept asking how much further and someone finally answered us in English! She told us we were close and asked us to complete the mountain with her and her friends. How cool is that?!

On the way up, the Snickers bar and blue gatorade I had were the best things I had ever consumed in my life. Nothing ever tasted so good. There were stops all along the way with fruit, candy and drinks to refuel for the journey.

We got our picture taken by tons of Chinese people and we took our fair amount of pictures to remember the experience. We also were in the middle of a race while we climbed. Several hundred Chinese men and women were racing up Mt. Tai and back down. They were clearly in better shape than we were.

Near the top, I met a man that asked me to reach the top with him. I agreed and we got our picture taken as soon as we reached the top. We all cheered and celebrated. My heart was overflowing with so much joy. I felt like I could run a marathon at that moment.

Since the UNA group had gotten somewhat split up, we all met back up at the top and took pictures with the cheap Mt. Tai jackets we purchased. We soaked in the view and then several of us found the cheapest, best-tasting coffee on all of Mt. Tai. Having coffee on top of a mountain was definitely one of the coolest things ever. We exited the mountain by riding in a boxcar that traveled by a zip line. For some reason, my intense fear of heights did not exist for that ten minutes. I felt invincible the rest of the day.

The journey was tough, but so worth it in the end. I compared it to my Christian walk at our Bible study with Dr. Gordon the next day. Although it’s hard and we struggle, it is all worth it in the end, and it is made easier with help from other Christians facing the same struggles. In life, there will be mountains to climb, but the view at the top is always breathtaking and well worth the climb.

Mt. Tai, thank you for such a beautiful day of my life that I will never forget.

Kaitlin Chappell

Ni hao! My name is Kaitlin Chappell. I am a junior (soon to be senior) at the University of North Alabama. I am majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in marketing. My dream is to be a news reporter and eventually an anchor on Good Morning America. I love to talk and I love to meet new people and hear their stories. I love love and laughing. Coffee shops are one of my obsessions. Traveling is another. I will be studying abroad in China for three weeks at Tian Jian University. I will be exploring several different areas of China, learning the language and customs, and meeting the people. I will blog and post pictures and videos to capture my trip. Join me on my adventures in the great land of China.

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