The year 2012 has been a significant one in my life because of the places I have been to and the people I have met.

I went to Australia in April. The Australian family who hosted me all had a great sense of humor and often made me laugh. I also met my first Japanese friend there, Aike. She is very pretty and kind. She lives with me and another good friend. In John Paul College in Australia, my best friend Grace helped me a lot with my homework.

I returned to China in June. On the way back, I cried the whole time because I already missed the friends I had made there.

I also had an interesting summer holiday in Guilin. Guilin is a famously beautiful place where you can forget about your worries. Unfortunately the Lijiang River wasn’t clean, which reminded me of the importance of environmental protection.

Then I went to Changsha City with my family. My father went to meet his old friends. We went to the school where Chairman Mao studied. It is located on a tall mountain and we had to take a cable car to the top.

We also went to Wuhan City. When I saw my 2-year-old cousin Coco after getting off the train, I rushed to hold her in my arms with great pleasure. I also met other cousins whom I have not seen for a long time.

My birthday is coming next month so I feel excited. But I am afraid my birthday party will be relatively muted because I have to prepare for an exam.