40 individual activists, 20 nationalities, 13 days of cycling acrossJapan, and 1 mission to spread peace in a world free of nuclear weapons

 I'm losing track of the days. Our time together is filled with such incredible experiences, but it's all going by so fast! We are at the halfway point of our bike tour, then have a week after filled with the ICAN Conference, IPPNW Student Congress, and 20th World Congress in Hiroshima. Already, we have all learned so much from one another, as individuals, cultures, and best practices in people's respective countries to spread awareness. Renewed and new friendships can be found in our large group. I look around and see life-long friendships blooming. Being an Chinese-American and having had traveled to much of the world during my studies, I love seeing cross-cultural and multi-cultural learning and understanding. I encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and explore a new culture far from their own, and of course it must be done with an open mind. It is difficult to convey all of the personal sentiments people are feeling since we are just three bloggers. However, I can easily say that I overhear conversations about the pros and cons of different healthcare systems, factoids about nuclear energy and weapons that we can use once returning home, fun recipes, and invitations to one's country and home. I love this feeling; we're becoming one big happy family made of a voices from around the world. Cheers, Michelle