The promise of spring has been fulfilled as the blossoms, buds and shoots have become a canopy of flowering trees, flowerbeds and thick, green foliage. Just outside the campus gate, the beekeeper and his family have set up a tent camp among dozens of hives servicing the nearby orchards and row crops.

It was an amazing change of scenery that welcomed us on our return from a weeklong adventure visiting former students in the coastal city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. While the Beijing area experienced its first stifling temperatures, we were happily enjoying the cool breezes and clean air along the Bo Hai, a large inlet of the Yellow Sea.

Former students arranged for us to stay in a rental apartment in the same building where they live and mapped out a slate of activities and sights for us to pick and choose from.

One student’s husband, a guitar instructor and fabulous cook, nightly prepared us scrumptious dinners of fresh, local crabs, shrimp and fish while each morning we were taken to favorite childhood breakfast spots and markets.

Another day, a student and her entire family, including a seven-year-old son, took us to an organic farm/amusement park (think Casa de Fruta) for several hours of fun and fruit picking as well as a delicious traditional Chinese countryside lunch. The men entertained everyone as they navigated the rope swings across the moat. No one was seriously injured.

We spent the better part of each day touring the area on our own while our hosts worked or entertained family visiting for the Chinese labor day holiday. The holiday added extra dimensions to our tour as we were joined by a bazillion vacationing Chinese everywhere we went including the Old Dragon Head, where the Great Wall meets the sea; the historic walled city; an Olympic park and a popular bird watching spot along the coastal flyway.

We were also part of a family holiday shao kao (Chinese BBQ) where we met and talked with many relatives while cooking loads of marinated meat and seafood on tiny, little grills. Several cousins spoke very good English and we practiced our limited Chinese. All in all we walked away from the evening extremely full (again!) and with invitations to visit their homes as well as attend a wedding in September.

We topped off our stay with a visit to our student’s parent’s apartment where we all chipped in to make and eat dumplings to fortify us for our two-hour train ride back to Beijing. We departed with hugs and promises to visit again and a mutual feeling that we would always be family.