Hi!
I’m Ting.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dear family & friends,
Thank you, to all the family, friends, colleagues and others who have been there for me on this crazy rollercoaster of a ride the past few years, and encouraged/supported/pretended-to-understand as I go on this inspiring/crazy/wtf-is-she-doing career break/quarter-life-crisis/once in a lifetime adventure!
Here is the long promised blog, where you can check in to see that I’m still alive! 🙂
Dear random person on the internet / fellow free spirit – welcome!!!
This blog exists to inspire and empower you to venture out into the world in a way that is meaningful and unique to you. There are so many different ways to explore for everyone. For me, it’s roaming ancient ruins, diving with the the turtles, setting up base camp abroad, tasting local culinary delights, catching some sun on the beach…just to name a few!
Regardless of the how, the most important thing is that this adventure, this life – this is YOUR TRIP. Do it YOUR way, and you’ll be richly rewarded with life changing experiences and unforgettable memories that live on decades later!
Though I forget a great many things, I never forget a good story. About those breathtaking places, magical moments, memorable connections – this is what life is about! This blog is where I’ll be documenting my adventures and mishaps around the world. It’s my hope that by sharing memorable/inspiring/funny/regrettable stories I’ve collected over the years from my own escapades, along with helpful tips and tricks for travel and expat living, I can inspire you on your own epic journey of discovery in our wild and wonderful world!
How It All Began
Whenever someone asks me ‘So what’s your story?’ I say, ‘…It depends on how long you’ve got!’
Long story short, my father’s work and family circumstances meant we were moving around quite a lot, and my world tour began the day I was born!
I’m a 90s kid born in Hong Kong, and spent early childhood growing up on the outskirts of Beijing. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandfather telling me the best stories – tales of fantastic heroes and magical lands afar, always with a valuable life lesson or two to impart. Even as a toddler, my grandparents took me along their on countless trips all over China. I was always up for an adventure!
That’s how it all began – my passion for storytelling, and this curiously endless curiosity about different places and their people, cultures and legends.
A New Perspective
When I was about five years old, we moved to Portland, Oregon in the US. Portland is a place quite unlike any other, a place of wonderful and friendly people who pride themselves on ‘keeping Portland weird’. And weird it was, in the most charming and wondrous way, particularly for a young child. I have so many fond memories growing up in this special corner of the world, from exploring the ancient forests, to attending Catholic school where my math teacher, Sister D., was (the coolest) 70-year old nun … and this is how I learned to play poker?! You can’t make this stuff up… :))
About 6 years later in 2006, we moved back to Beijing, and I saw the town of my childhood from a completely different perspective, more an expat now than a local.
Our next adventure would be two years later, next stop Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! This is where I spent my teen years until university. Saigon has a very special place in my heart, a place I made deep friendships that endure to this day, through incredible shared experiences in a richly unique culture, community and way of life.
London Calling
I had the opportunity to move to London for university, where I studied geophysics (the choice having nothing to do of course with the outdoor field trips abroad and the chance to finally live my Indiana Jones moment…obviously)!
For the past decade, London has been my home and base camp for exploring Europe and beyond. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime, and had adventures beyond anything I could have imagined!
Having lived in London longer than anywhere else, and nearly 8 years into the 9-5 grind, I could feel a sense of wanderlust…this restlessness… a yearning for new adventures to come…
Where next?
For now, through some luck & right timing, I’ve been blessed with a 9 month sabbatical from work.
I don’t know if I’ll go back. (To that company, that job, or any job if I can help it??) I’m wondering, can I just vagabond forever…?
But for now, all I hear is the winds of change…the next adventure calls…!
I don’t know what’s coming next, or where exactly I’m going next.
Our Land Rover Discovery 2 overlanding camper conversion-in-progress, affectionately named Morton, is ready for an adventure. And so am I!!
I guess I’ll do what what I’ve always done – explore and immerse in the unfamiliar and unknown, appreciate and experience our beautiful Big Blue Dot and its vibrant tapestry of people and places, to see the glimmering thread that connects us all!
I’m so excited to share my journey of discovery with you, where ever it may lead.
Until next time my friend, may your journey be full of magic, fun and beautiful memories!
Sending you some magic sparkles,
xx Ting
