All I can think of as my time at Qufu Shaolin Kung Fu School comes to an end is that one month has been too short. I’m proud of everything I’ve learned, but I’m finding it hard to accept the fact that I have to leave all of this behind.

The masters taught us with a dedication that still astounds me. With no experience in kung fu, I definitely found the training difficult, and I can’t imagine how much work and effort the masters put in to make sure we understood what we were doing and how to do it. I’ll never forget the one evening I decided to walk around the school and noticed that the training hall was open. I didn’t stay for long, but I remember seeing the masters training and wondering why I don’t train with that much spirit, speed and power everyday, and I decided that, even with my very sore muscles, I needed to do more.

I’m thankful to my master, Master Du, who made sure everyone in my group got a good deal of attention. I wouldn’t have learned as much as I did without him.

I’m thankful for the comfort I felt the moment I got here. Before coming to China, I remember being terrified. I was terrified of leaving my family, my friends, my home. I was terrified of being alone. When I stepped into the school, all of that gradually went away.

I’m thankful to the people here who made my time count. The fact that there were so few girls at the school bonded us together, and I’ll never forget our girl talks and our laughs. Everyone else I met had a good attitude. The students knew how to train hard, but they also knew how to have fun. I love that I had the chance to meet so many people from all around the world. I love that, even with our different backgrounds, we found a way to become a family.

I wish I had more time, but for now, it’s time to go home.