Good morning, Zhoushan. I had a dream about my bright future in the most beautiful city. The rays of the golden sun and the gentle chirping of the birds woke me. It is much warmer here than in my homeland, so I like to sleep with the window open, so as not to miss the sounds of dawn.

My story in Zhoushan began back in 2014, when I came here for the first time as an exchange student to Zhejiang Ocean University for three months. China is not the first country I have visited, but the first country I have come to love as my own. All because I was in Zhoushan. "In heaven it's all they talk about. The ocean. And the sunset. How beautiful it is to watch that big ball of fire melt to the ocean. The only light that is just like a candle is inside" - we can hear in the famous movie. It seems these words were imprinted in my soul since childhood. I first saw the sea when I was six and instantly fell in love with it.

My hometown lies at the foot of the Ural Mountains, ancient, covered with dense forests. Every summer my family and I went to conquer these peaks. Why am I telling you this? The fact is that the hills of Zhoushan excitedly remind me of my native places, while the hilly jungle has its roots right in the depths of the sea and it fascinates me again and again. I am ready to admire the sunsets of Zhoushan every day, watch the last rays of the red fire giant paint the tops of the trees in unusual colours and dissolve in the sea thickness.

That is why I decided to go back to Zhoushan and learn more about the city, about the citizens, about customs, culture, even about food. It took three years; I graduated from University, earned some money, began to learn Chinese and realized: it's time! I applied to Zhejiang Ocean University, and to my great honour, I received a Chinese Government Scholarship to study here. So my dream came true, and in September 2017 I returned to Zhoushan.