By Eric Huang & Lionel Lang
Today is a happy and sad day for me. At first, it was because I continued to be in contact with the sports field I like, and after today, I was able to see my family for the first time in two years; but it is very sad, I have to say goodbye to everyone. Well, my journey is going to draw an ellipsis here for the time being.
We still had a lot of plans this morning and we drove to Circuit de Catalunya to see the cars. I first heard about F1 racing from my friends. I learned about Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a racing circuit located in Montessori (Montmelo), Catalonia, Spain. It is a multi-purpose circuit and is one of the venues for various racing competitions in the world, including the Formula One (F1) Spanish Grand Prix and the World Motorcycle Championship (MotoGP) Catalan Grand Prix. The Circuit de Catalunya was completed in 1991 and has state-of-the-art facilities and track design.
The track is 4.655 kilometers long and has 16 corners, including challenging high-speed corners and long straights, as well as different ups and downs and angle changes. These features make it a favorite venue for drivers and teams, as well as an exciting racing experience for spectators. In addition to Formula 1 and motorcycle events, Circuit de Catalunya also hosts other motorsport events such as the GT Championship, endurance races, and youth driver development programs. In addition, it provides racing experiences such as driving simulators and racing schools for the general public. As an internationally renowned racing circuit, Circuit de Catalunya attracts racing enthusiasts and professional drivers from all over the world. It is not only a sport, but also an important tourism and economic resource in Catalonia, bringing abundant sightseeing and business opportunities to the local area. After the visit, I also played bumper cars with my friends, as if I had regained the feeling of my childhood.
Visiting the Circuit de Catalunya is our last activity in Europe. We planned to go to the most famous bar in the world with our friends in the afternoon, but because we were so forgetful about shouting for Barcelona yesterday, and the queue time was too long; there was no way to try it, which may be a pity, but I went to the boat at 6 o’clock, which is the happiest time of my day. We sat on the boat, and all of us enjoyed our last night in Europe very much. We drank champagne on the deck, took many, many group photos, and sang many, many songs to the music. What surprised me was Nicole, I didn’t expect her to like Taylor Swift as much as I do. And we also sang cruel summer together, what a precious and unforgettable experience!
At 9 o’clock in the evening, we finished our activities, went back to the hotel, and started looking through my photos, actually my trip started on May 5th. I went to Washington, DC and returned to Columbus before the class started, and then looked back at everything along the timeline. Milan, Nice, Monaco, and then to Barcelona, it’s unbelievable we did this. We listened to so many lectures, guest sharing, and we even gave advice to the IAAF. Who can do it; we did it! Even though parting is very sad, parting is for a better meeting. I hope my friends can have a good journey home and a safe journey. I hope the sea breeze of the Iberian Peninsula can bring you good luck! I will always love you!
Day 11
Today is the time to say goodbye to Barcelona. Because Lionel and I are going to fly back to Hong Kong from Barcelona, instead of flying back to Atlanta with the big team to meet Columbus again. I still can’t believe that the 10-day journey has passed so quickly because so many incredible things happened in these 10 days.
We left the hotel at 11 a.m. and enjoyed our last Barcelona meal in the nearby square. Then we arrived at Barcelona Airport and started the check-in process. When we arrived at our gate, the international terminal was empty, with only one flight waiting for us. At 4:20 pm, our plane took off from Barcelona. We first arrived in Doha for a layover flight, so the 6-hour flight time was not so tiring. Qatar Airways aircraft has many entertainment options, one of which I have never experienced is that it can see the front and rear of the aircraft in real-time through the screen. It felt like I was flying the plane myself. It was 1 a.m. when we arrived at Doha airport. As the best airport in the world, Doha Airport lives up to its reputation. The entire airport is very atmospheric, and there are even trains in the terminal. Oreo Cafe also has an official store in the airport which is unexpected.
After a short stop at the airport, we boarded a plane from Doha to Hong Kong. It has been 640 days since we were last home. So the 7-hour flight was keeping me awake and I was so excited to see my home country and family and friends. In the middle, we had the local food, chicken curry with yellow rice and beetroot. I find it a bit spicy, but overall very tasty. When we successfully landed in Hong Kong, The sincere Mandarin made me a little uncomfortable because we stayed in the United States for a long time and English has been the primary language. All of a sudden, everyone around us was speaking Mandarin, which caught us off guard. We were still in disbelief. It wasn’t until we got on the high-speed train that we were sure we were indeed back!
