In 2015, just after graduating from university, I left my home in the U.S. to go to China on a scholarship to study Mandarin Chinese.

My interest of China started in December of 2008, when I visited my extended family in China’s Northeast and witnessed the transformation the country was undergoing. I’ll never forget the energy still lingering in the air (or the poor air quality lingering from all the construction) from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, when China was “coming out”—re-emerging as a player on the world stage after years of reform and opening. Every city I visited, from Shanghai to Beijing, was undergoing massive change; essentially, entire cities were construction sites. I knew I had witnessed something historic, and that trip left me wanting to deepen my understanding of China. In the following years, during high school and university, I visited China on summer breaks to learn by being on the ground.

Inspired by my previous trips, I moved to China in 2015, embarking on an adventure to learn the language and to broaden my knowledge of its culture at a time of great change. Over the years, through stories, audio recordings, and photos, I have captured some of my experiences interacting with the people and cultures of China. Join me on my journey.

PS: The contents of this site are bilingual, a mash-up of English and Chinese. 欢迎您！