A couple of weekends ago, my friend called me a People Pleaser. I admit it; I am totally a people pleaser and always have been. I go out of …
Ulan-Ude in Winter (and Miracles at Ivolginsky Datsan)
The sun has yet to rise, and I feel the bitter cold under five layers of wool and fleece. I’ve just arrived in Ulan-Ude after being on the …
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Beijing to Ulan-Ude by Train
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. I chant this line from My Fair Lady over and over to the rhythm of the train as we pass swaths …
Koh Lipe: Paradise at a Cost
The trip to Koh Lipe will always be that time I vacationed with friends. I can recommend a hotel, point out the best beaches, and give you …
Backpacking Zion National Park (West Rim Trail)
*I wrote this post in the summer of 2017, when I actually went to Zion National Park, but never took the time to upload photos (which took …
Lessons Learned from My Father’s Death
Today is Father’s Day. Half a year has gone by since my dad passed away. To be honest, I’m not feeling sad today. It feels like a normal …
Seafood, Beaches, and Sunsets: A week of R&R in Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Phu Quoc, a Vietnamese island off the western coast of Cambodia, is just a 2.5 hour flight from Kunming, so onto the plane I hopped to spend …
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To Write Again
Lately I've been getting the urge to write. In fact, I always get the urge to write but I rarely do it. Usually, by the time I dig out a …
January 28, 2019
Yesterday was January 28th. The date on my one-way ticket to Colombia, the first stop on my solo adventure across South America. It was also …
What does grief look like?
My friend asked if I’ve had a big cry. I have a few times: the morning I found my dad already gone, the next day when I went to …
A Traditional Chinese Funeral: Rites, Rituals, and Little Time for Processing
Surreal is the best word to describe my dad’s funeral. It was a 3 hour-long series of Buddhist rituals interrupted by paperwork and …
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Losing My Dad
For the first time in my life, I feel grief. But only moments of it when the realization hits that I’ll never see my dad or hear his voice …