Tragedy in China:
Although China was an incredible experience, amazing opportunity momentarily turned into tragedy for two students on our voyage.  Two girls were hiking the Great Wall…. The exact same experience I speak so wonderfully of.  They were actually in the middle of their introductory conversation. (Hi, I’m Lilli.  Hi, I’m Gabby.  Where are you from…)  when the step in front of them, was in reality much steeper than they ever anticipated.  Both girls tumbled down a flight of steep stairs that makes up many parts of the Great Wall.  One, Lilli (my roommate on the ship) fell onto her knee and is doing okay now.  She had 27 stitches and it almost walking on it.  She is grateful as ever, because she knows that a fall could have happened to anyone, and a scraped up knee is a much better outcome than what could have been.  The other, was not as lucky.  She fell on her head and was knocked unconscious.  Courageous and admirable SAS students pull through once again on this trip:  Students with medical background managed to pull doors off the Great Wall, tie these two girls to the doors acting as stretchers, and hike forty minutes in the dark to get them to an ambulance.  Right now, Lilli is back on the ship and doing well, and the other is in a Hong Kong hospital, responsive and breathing on her own.  Her mother and our nurse on board are there with her.  I am writing this story in my blog because I simply ask all of you to add these two girls and everyone affected into your thoughts and prayers.  As the close friends everyone has made on Semester at Sea, I am proud to say that everyone worked together like family, and in result saved two lives.