Birthday Tradition: Self Care Day!
September 8, 2017
Several years ago, someone told me that their company gives every employee a day off on their birthday. I found that to be a brilliant idea. Since my company doesn’t have this policy, I decided to implemented for myself. For the past few years, I’ve taken at least one day off for my birthday. If it falls on a weekend, as it does this year, then I take a day to make it a long weekend! This is #selfcare in all its beauty, and I encourage you to adopt it...
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10 Days in Thailand & Cambodia
August 12, 2017
Day 1: Bangkok Arrived in Bangkok. There were 4 of us; one coming from Shanghai, two from Washington D.C., and another from Michigan. We managed to all arrived within 24 hours of one another. We spent the night at THA City Hotel, a no frill, cozy boutique in a nice part of the city. Conveniently located and easy to get…
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3 Days in Siem Reap, Cambodia
August 7, 2017
On a whirlwind trip with my Peace Corps loves in January, we hit up Cambodia. We traveled just after New Year, and thus was a high tourist season. Angkor Wat was understandably crowded, but I live in China, so nothing is that crowded for me. The city isn’t very big, so depending on how much temple-hopping and relaxing you want…
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1000 Days to Freedom
May 10, 2017
I’ve been chasing the dream of living a location independent life since my days in the Peace Corps. I’ve wanted the freedom to live and work in parts of the world where people wouldn’t even bother to go for vacation. I’ve dreamt of the freedom to do anything I want, and not have to worry about how much money it…
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2016 Year-in-Review
December 30, 2016
Travel. Need for Change. Relationships. Those are the themes that have ran through this year. It was also a year filled with fitness firsts: first half marathon & first trail run. Here’s another year of life experiences under my belt, and on the road to becoming a better version of myself. January: Xav and I rang in the new year…
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One week in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
October 8, 2016
I’ve been living in Asia for the last four years, but yet never ventured to Vietnam. I heard there is good coffee, so I decided to give it a go! One note of caution: Vietnam recently changed its visa policy for Americans. We were only able to obtain 1 year, multiple-entry tourist visas to Vietnam.* The downside is, that visa…
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Birthday Cleanse: Yoga Detox Retreat in Kerala, India
September 18, 2016
On the start of a new journey, each day is filled with incredible newness. When a day goes by, it feels as though a week has passed. My 30s has been this way thus far. Several months ago, I felt my life was losing direction. The corporate grind and the comfortable Shanghai life bored me. I needed clarity, some time…
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Becoming 30
September 6, 2016
I turned 20 in London. It was junior year of college, and I was on an internship program at the U.S. Embassy. The night before turning 20, I met a boy. That boy liked me and we had a lot of fun for 4 months. He liked me so much that we carried on. I felt very adult carrying on…
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Road to Positive Net Worth
August 1, 2016
Bold Move During fall of 2012, just months after I finished a very expensive graduate degree, I took the plunge and moved to Shanghai, with nothing but negative $120k of net worth. It didn’t matter that I was coming without a job, the goal was to be rid of that massive student debt. My plan was to pay it off…
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Inner Mongolia: Xiwuqi Grassland Marathon
July 24, 2016
I attempted my very first timed race in the Xiwuqi Grassland Marathon in Inner Mongolia. Races are a great excuse for travel. Inner Mongolia is fascinating, and I felt as though I’ve been transported to another world while running on the grassland. Day 1: Shanghai – Hohhot We took the direct flight from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hohhot (呼和浩特) in the morning.…
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