Jeff: 2008 was a busy year. Jennie graduated, moved out to California via a road trip with me, and I decided to surprise her at the internship program in China for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Similar to the Thanksgiving surprise, the idea popped into my head earlier that year before Jennie had even left for the internship. Then the ideas began to snowball. All the pieces started to sound so enticing. The best way to surprise her, how I could pull it off, how to get a visa to China, what costs would be involved, if I could survive a trip all the way around the world where I didn’t speak the language and had no idea where I was going.

The more dangerous and scary it got the more exciting it became. Finally it was time to start putting things in motion. I booked the flight, I went to the travel office and started the process of getting a visa. I emailed Jennie’s friends in the program and tried to convince one of them to meet me at a train stop and take me to the place they were staying. I also managed to convince her to record the surprise. Ruby was very excited to make it work. I was equally as excited to surprise Jennie and likewise get a taste of China and Beijing during the Summer Olympics.

The trip was a huge success and the video only proves that we all had a great time. I’m really glad I did it, and if I had the option to do it again I would a thousand times over.