Latest Posts
Read about the places I’ve been and what I’m thinking about lately…
How to Plan a Chinese Funeral: A step-by-step guide
I noticed more people are reading my Chinese funeral blog post these days, and I wonder…
How to Plan a Chinese Funeral: A step-by-step guideRead More
One Chinese Person’s Reflection on the Coronavirus Pandemic
My cousin, Yanhao, who was self-quarantined alone on the other side of Kunming, played a large…
One Chinese Person’s Reflection on the Coronavirus PandemicRead More
Mexico City: Calm Before the Coronavirus Storm
One of the shiniest silver linings from this pandemic is that I am connecting with people…
A Long-Distance Relationship in the Time of the Coronavirus
Mela is from Sichuan, China but currently resides in Shenzhen with her boyfriend. When the outbreak…
A Long-Distance Relationship in the Time of the CoronavirusRead More
The Girl with Dirty Elbows
Hello, I’m Emily!
You are about to read the longest ever self-intro on a homepage. But I figured you’d like to know more about me before diving into the blog.
If you’re anything like me, then you know what it’s like to daydream about life shared with complete strangers in faraway places. You know what it’s like to miss friends’ birthdays and holidays with family. You are familiar with that feeling of being so in tune with yourself and with everyone around you that even the birds (or their poo—yes, I am a birdpoo magnet) are drawn to you.
(I tried to make this viewer-friendly for ya, so to continue reading, just click on the little arrow!)Sometimes I wonder if I’m not trying hard enough to find nuance at home. Am I traveling in search of novelty to keep life exciting? Am I trying to prove something to myself or to escape when things get hard? Have I convinced myself that I am so unemployable that I don’t even try to find a full-time job?
I have dreamt of traveling the world since I was 19, the year I took my first solo trip. But, year after year, a voice creeps into my head; the voice that says, “Get a job! Get your own apartment! Date! Grow up!”
Well, I tried all of those things and the only thing I succeeded in doing is to grow up. Or at least grown up enough to know that if I don’t believe in my own ability to travel and write full-time, nobody else will either.
Currently, my circumstances afford me the opportunity to travel and write about it without going bankrupt, and I am extremely privileged in that regard. But it’s also a lifestyle choice I’ve made (one that comes with a different set of sacrifices).
On the plane ride home from my 30th birthday trip to Indonesia, I decided to quit the best job I’ve ever had. It was a job with the promise that I’d live a super cushy life in China with a fabulous social reputation. It even involved plenty of travel!
But, I’m stubborn when it comes to dreaming. So here I am, back at Dirty Elbows. The best thing that could happen is I get this blog to bring in the income to fund my travels. The worst thing that could happen is it doesn’t, and I’m back at square one. In either case, I’ll have made a real effort in actualizing my dreams. And in the meanwhile, I’ll have experienced the world in a way that makes me feel alive. Or as millennials (such as myself) would call it, living my best life!
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you want to learn even more about me, click here.
Happy travels, friends!
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Letters to Strangers
Ever meet someone you could talk to forever but had to part ways before you had the chance to finish your thoughts? Or someone so interesting you just had to share their story with the world? Well, Letters to Strangers is what this is all about. It’s the Missed Connections of the travel world.
If you have a story to share or a letter to write, click here to deliver your message to the universe (aka my inbox). I will publish it on Dirty Elbows, and then cross my fingers and toes that your message will be delivered, if not to the person intended, then to those who will read and be moved by your words.
Below are a couple I’ve written to get you started.
To Ken, an outcast, a wanderer, a veteran, homeless, black, and human
Dear Ken, I’ve been telling everyone about you since we met. I was eating…
To Ken, an outcast, a wanderer, a veteran, homeless, black, and humanRead More
Letter to the Chinese Bottle-Collecting Auntie
Location: Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University Campus Date: circa 2012 Dear Chinese-auntie-collecting-bottles-on-Comm-Ave, I don’t remember…
