As many of us are preparing to return to the United States this morning, we are exhausted and ready for a little time at home.  Lucy left our group last night so that she can spend her summer in her home town of Shanghai.  Veronica and Katie were continuing their summers in China with internships in Beijing @ the US Embassy and Henan Province @ OSI.  Luckily our morning didn’t have to start early.  American Airlines flight 288 wasn’t scheduled to take off until 4:10pm from Shanghai international airport; therefore we didn’t leave the hotel until 11:30am, a much appreciated late start for many of us.  We loaded up our luggage and headed off for the hour and a half drive to the airport.  Arriving at the airport a few hours early allowed us to grab a bite for lunch and stretch before our 14 hour flight as it continued to be delayed at the gate. 

As we finally began our departure 40 minutes late, we all hoped to make up a little time; the pilot sounded confident on making up some time.  To say the least, many of us were ready to breathe the fresh air and be on American soil after our 2 weeks in China!  We all learned a lot while we toured multiple companies around China, learning different parts about their culture, trying new kinds of food (along with sharpening our chopstick skills), and just how to build relationships that will help us prosper in the future. 

As we say goodbye, some of us are headed off to different parts of the United States to continue learning about our future careers with internships starting Monday, or summer classes back on campus, and some to spend time with family and friends for a little down time this summer. We hope everyone continues to have a great summer and safe travels to where ever life may take them! See everyone back in the fall semester! 

For one last time, here's the Flickr link.  Thanks for following along with us and we'll see you next year!