Monthly Recap: June 2017

Where I Went Shanghai, China Qingdao, Shandong, China Luoyang, Henan, China Huashan and Xi’an, Shaanxi, China Xiahe, Zhangye, Dunhuang, and Jiayuguan, Gansu, China Xining and Qinghai Lake, China For the last half of the month I was backpacking around China. Blog posts about everywhere I went to come! Best on InstagramThis one is from Qinghai…

21 Countries in 21 Years

Yesterday was my 21st birthday. Incidentally I’ve been to 21 foreign countries before my 21st. I figured this was a good time to reflect on good and life-changing times.I am so grateful for these experiences and memories. It’s been quite the wild ride these past few years. Who knows how many countries I’ll have been…

Packing for Backpacking in China

I’m heading off in a couple of hours to backpack around China. This is what I’m taking with me. I’m taking a 35L Karrimor backpack and a 10L stuff-stack Quechua backpack. I’m taking my clothes in my packing cubes, which I got from Amazon – they’re the Amazon basics brand. I originally wanted the Eagle…

A Weekend in Shanghai

On Thursday night, we booked a room at the Etour hostel near People’s Square subway station in Shanghai, then the next morning we headed to catch a train. We arrived around midday and after a quick rest, we set out.  an old theatre near where we were staying We spent the rest of the day…

Monthly Recap: May 2017

Where I Went Urumqi & Turpan, Xinjiang Province Lin’an, Zhejiang Province Best on the Blog Lhasa, Tibet – This is one of two posts about my time in Tibet. Best on Instagram Shannan, Tibet – Sunset at Everest Base Camp –  Books I Read We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed…

Memories of a Long Weekend

The past couple of weeks have been pretty essay-heavy, so this weekend I got some university work done, but I also enjoyed spending the long holiday weekend here in Hangzhou.  This is my neighborhood fruit shop. I love the way it looks at night.   Take out delivery drivers line up to get their orders…

My Summer Reading List

This isn’t your average summer reading list. This is my last summer as a student (at least, for now). I’m about to start my final year of university, and this is what I hope to read this summer. I’ve just put up a blog post about my reading goals and preparing for the FSOT. My…

FSOT Preparation & Reading Project

As I am finishing up my second-to-last year of university, I am constantly aware of my impending need for full-time employment. I am considering many options – and maybe I’ll do a blog post about that eventually, but I wanted to highlight one of the career options that I am considering. Ever since I decided…

A Week in Xinjiang Province

I caught a flight from Lhasa to Urumqi and arrived in the evening. The next morning, I tried to go to the Xinjiang museum, but it was closed for May Day. I ended up going to the bazaar, meeting a really cool Chinese woman, and spending the whole afternoon eating Uyghur baked goods and hanging…

A Week in Xinjiang Province

I caught a flight from Lhasa to Urumqi and arrived in the evening. The next morning, I tried to go to the Xinjiang museum, but it was closed for May Day. I ended up going to the bazaar, meeting a really cool Chinese woman, and spending the whole afternoon eating Uyghur baked goods and hanging…