The Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing...completely frozen over in the winter time lol. I forgot to mention that it was about 16 degrees and the wind chill made it feel something like -10. Literally the coldest weather I've ever experienced in my whole life....and I was outside...sightseeing the whole time...enduring the hawk smacking me on my cheeks (hawk - a noun used to describe cold weather with a biting wind or bitter cold as if it were an inanimate object...more commonly used by people in areas like Chicago where it gets unbearably cold in the winter). By the end of the tour, my hands were so cold they had gone numb.

I'm literally about to inundate you with pictures of The Forbidden City in this post. 

It's been a minute, so I can't recall the names of all the halls and gardens we stepped into but I'll do my best. Really, tho...you aren't as interested in all that as you are with the pictures. I know. 

I love Broadway musicals. I was a TUTs season ticketholder for 2013-2014. I love Broadway musicals so much that I am willing to travel from Houston to NYC just to see a Broadway musical.

That morning, we left Beijing and drove 1.5 hours to the Badaling section of the wall. Research, and our guide Oscar, stated that this section is the best preserved and most popular amoung all the sections...its also the most visited by tourists (not that I'm upset about it b/c I got to see the Great Wall of China but I would have preferred going to a less visited area to get the realness of it all. They bring tourists here b/c it is accessible and has easier walking conditions with handrails on each side of the steep stairways).

People keep asking me, "What was your favorite part about visiting China?". There were so many highlights...I haven't actually decided yet.

But, I'll tell you my least favorite part....so. many. planes. 

I previously wrote a post about my love for planes and in general, that has not changed. However, after the last two weeks, I will be happy if I don't see another Boeing 737 for a while

My favorites were the lists other people posted of things I should expect. It helped me to prepare myself for this new adventure, I've never been to any Asian country so I was a little nervous. Still, there was the culture shock. Even though I took note of all the tips, nothing really prepares you....you have to be there and see it for yourself.