Hi, welcome to my travel memoir!

Did you always travel? It is hard to say. I’m a Californian, who grew up in an urbanized suburb and traveled to places thirty miles away before I was five. Traveling out-of-state was out of the question, but I’ve heard quite a bit about the fifty-states goal that made an impression.

In my early twenties and just out of college, I outlined a trip to Chicago. Take the train, seven days in the city, and fly out of O’Hare International. I didn’t understand why “Chicago” always appeared in books, but I booked Chicago since it was closer and cheaper than New York.

At first, it was a little daunting. I was told I might be gunned-down. The city was rundown despite being the third-largest city and major transportation hub throughout American history. Once, my travel friend once saw a lurking figure near the rails at night, and we never went down those stairs again. Our apartment, across from an infamous park, was nicely renovated inside and run-down on the outside. I had to do a lot of research on safety.

Later in the trip, my intuition had a firmer grasp. It was like LA, except rearranged. Same train lines, different places. Same street names, different environment. I even took a bus to the suburbs to see Brookfield Zoo by myself. Since then, I started solo travel, first to New Orleans, then to Portland, and more.

Traveling in my early twenties meant I was growing up on the road. Knowledge and inspiration don’t come from routine. It comes from experiences and living in jaw-dropping moments. Like the time an old lady said, “It’s nice to see color” or when I was filmed on the street.

The majority of my state travel ranged from 2016 to the present when America was going through major cultural changes. Self-empowerment through self-acceptance. Limitless over fitting into boxes. I knowingly went to places where Americans of Chinese descent were rare. Inspired by English writers as a child, I started writing young and embraced individuality.

Through traveling, I built upon who I am and saw America in my perspective as a brunette. I want to share what’s it’s like to travel to all fifty states as an American millennial. While traveling, my mind had mapped out little treasures, unique memories I hope to share on this blog.

What’s Next: 

I’m learning about traveling as I travel. I may write slower than I travel, but I hope to get there! My posts are edited periodically to create better content.

Open the menu on the right-hand corner for my travel advice.

Adventure Short Stories:

Journey through Manzanar- Five days. Five stories. An alternative winter break, exploring the harsh winter lives of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Chicago, my Windy City- From skyscrapers, boat cruises, museums, Navy Pier, to Frank Lloyd Wright. A vacation in Chicago can be pretty packed, even in ten days.

Acknowledgments:

Journey through Manzanar

Thank you to the student coordinators, park rangers, museum curators, and all who made it possible and welcomed this humanitarian project!

Mom & Dad

For letting me become a young adult.