Today is Thursday, and tomorrow is the opening ceremonies! I am so excited! I can’t wait!!

Today was our first day back in the village from our little day-and-a-half adventure with our team. I am glad to be back in the village, and there are already a lot more people in the village than there were before we left. On our little adventure, we went to The Great Wall and to a lot of cool restaurants. One restaurant we went to was a Chinese duck restaurant and an American pizza place. Both were very good in different ways. I did try the duck, and it was OK, but not my favorite, but I am glad that I at least tried it.

The Great Wall was absolutely amazing!! I had seen it in pictures and everything, but to actually see it in person and to be on it was so cool! I had a lot of fun, especially when we rode the gondola up to the wall and took the bobsled down. The bobsled was kind of like a giant slide that curved from the top all the way down. It was so much fun when I got to the bottom, I wanted to do it again! When you steer the sleds, you are supposed to slow down on the curves, and one of our coaches decided not to and just go full blast and flipped off the track and has like road rash on his leg and elbow. He was so funny about it all too! Ha ha!

Overall, I am having a great time here in China and can’t wait for tomorrow and the ceremonies and for all the competitions to begin. I’m so excited!!!

— Mary Beth