One Year in New York City

It's been a year....quite a year...

On June 3, 2019, I moved to New York City. What a little bundle of hope and joy I was.

One year later, and look at all that has happened. That hope, however, has only grown.

I won't say I regret it, that I wish I weren't here. Not at all. Quite the opposite. What a privilege to be part of something so important. What a time to be in the epicenter of so much social change. What an honor to walk with so many powerful, angry, hurt, inspiring people. Also, the pizza is still some of the best in the world, but I digress.

Remember China?

Remember when I came back from China a year ago? I got on a flight and returned to America without a plan? I was working at the country's state media agency and did things like host livestreams and this report on the international horticultural expo? Remember that? I was on Chinese TV? Who knew?

Day 15: All Questions, No Answers

A little patience, Teddy...no travel yet.

It's been two weeks of working from home. It's been two weeks of eating pasta and rationing my greens. It's been two weeks of watching the news and the stock market and wondering.

If nothing else, my closet and floors have never been cleaner.

This whole coronavirus thing has thrown everyone for a loop, and I'm thankful to be able to ride it out with a great roommate, a job I can work remotely, and a city that is no stranger to suffering.

The lack of any stress to do anything than exactly what I'm doing has been refreshing. Living in the present is the only choice, and I am here for it. Sure, I can go for a run, but other than that, this is it. Me. My desk. My bed. A tiny stuffed Teddy who has not started to respond to me. Yet.

Making Sense After China

About a year ago I was waiting in Paris to move to China, to take up a job in Beijing. The adventure was cut short, but my few months there did leave a mark on me. While there are things I miss, there are also plenty of things that I don't mind having left behind across the ocean.

2019: From Beijing to Tahiti

The cookie crumbled.

So, 2019, that was…fun.

I haven’t really talked about where I’ve been since China out of fear of jinxing myself. After moving from Paris to Beijing in February, I left China in May on a one-way ticket, fleeing a job that ended up being a total bust. It was a bait-and-switch sort of job. I entered Beijing thinking I’d be a travel editor. I ended up editing mostly political propaganda. As a journalist, I couldn’t look myself in the mirror.

Beijing: Week 11 and Farewell

All good things come to an end, like this cyclist's ride, which ended a moment after when he fell off his bike drunkenly...

My final week was, by all accounts, lovely. I had committed to leaving China and, as such, dedicated my final days to enjoying Beijing as much as possible.

On Monday I was supposed to work at an event but was told I wasn't needed at the last minute, so I took some time to visit the Lama Temple, which had been on my list for weeks. It was an incense-filled visit to, what I think, is the city's prettiest temple with all of its Tibetan influence and its 85-foot tall statue of Maitreya, successor to the Buddha. The Portuguese president was in town for the event I was meant to cover and joined me (well, not really) at the temple for a visit. Check and check.

Beijing: Week 10

One of my favorite images I took in Beijing...

By now it's no secret that I'm out of China, but I still had a few days to enjoy Beijing before I peaced out to the U.S. The entire cultural aspect of living in this city never got old, and I made sure to immerse myself in it as much as possible.

I did one last epic walk past the lakes and through the hutongs, taking advantage of another seriously sunny day. I oriented myself towards the bell and drum towers, some landmarks that were cute enough to explore before doing some shopping at the super touristy Nanluoguxiang hutong.