I took this photo (with a timer) towards the end of my Peace Corps service in China in 2011. All the students in the picture were university students turned volunteers, who ran the community center/library I started at Lanzhou University of Technology in Northwest China. We all went to a traditional "Hot Pot" restaurant to celebrate the success of the project. The 14 "first generation volunteers" worked endless hours to make the center a welcoming English-only space for students to read, exchange, learn in English. The center, called "The English Bubble", is open 7 days a week and is still going strong, currently ran by its third generation of volunteers. This photo represents a life-changing moment in my service, where I truly realized the impact of my service on these wonderful students and friends and how strong a connection we were all experiencing across cultures.