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 Instagram
This one is from Qinghai Lake
Best on the Blog
21 Countries in 21 Years – I posted this because I realized I had gone to 21 countries before my 21st birthday. It’s a bit of a reflection on that.
What I Read
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai – I really enjoyed this book. It’s been on my reading list for a while. I was really moved by her story and how mature she is. There were definitely some teary bits, but I also found it to be a really nice insight into some aspects of a normal childhood in Pakistan.
情遇到泥泊尔 by 王晓林 – This is a beautiful travelogue from a Chinese guy’s trip to Nepal. The art is really quaint and beautiful. I found this in a cafe/bookstore/coffee shop in Qingdao this month and read the whole thing, poring over the artwork. I was pleasantly surprised that I could read it without looking up hardly any words. It has sparked quite an obsession and got me quite inspired.
Inspiration
Travel journals! I found a travel journal in a bookstore in Shanghai. I quickly became obsessed. I really love Fanyu’s style. When I was in Qingdao I found travel journals by a different artist, whose name is 王晓林. I love his painting style and I read one of his books this month. The two books (above and below) are up next.
I’m considering attempting to make my own version of these kinds of travel journals. I really like the format and I have so many pictures, journal entries, tickets stubs, etc. that I want to display somehow.
Challenges
The big challenge this month is that my time in China is coming to an end. On one hand, this year has been incredible. I will cherish all the wonderful times and amazing experiences I have had this year. I’ve grown a lot and learned even more. On the other hand, I’m getting pretty fed up with being stared at, having my picture taken by strangers, always having to carry around my passport, and a bunch of other superficial things. I am ready to drink tap water, breathe clean air, and blend into the crowd.
Highlights
I turned 21! My birthday was on the 16th. I was in Qingdao with my friend for my birthday and we had a really lovely day. Her birthday was 6 days later and we celebrated in Xi’an. I’m lactose intolerant so I couldn’t have any cake, but we made some makeshift birthday cakes.
I passed HSK 5! I took HSK 5 (the second highest level in the standard Chinese language exam) without any classes or studying and I’m so pleased that I passed. I wasn’t expecting to, honestly, but I’m so proud. I think it’s a nice way to end the year and prove to myself that I have learned some Chinese this year.
Traveling was another huge highlight. I was traveling for over half of the month. I had a really lovely weekend in Shanghai with my friends. I also went backpacking in China, mostly in the northwest part of the country.
Up Next
NYC! I’m leaving China on July 9th and I’m heading directly to New York. My mom happens to be on a business trip there that week, so we’ve turned it into a family holiday and a time for me to see a bunch of my friends living there. I’m really excited to go back to the US and more excited to go to New York. I’ve been several times, but I haven’t been in about five years.
After that, I’ll be spending most of the rest of the month back at home cracking on with an incredibly long list of things I need to do this summer before starting my last year of university.
