This summer, I'm going to China for a few weeks. I've been given an incredible opportunity to travel to the other side of the world with a personal tour guide and experience another culture like I never have before.

Having never stepped foot out of the states, no

t even to Canada, this is quite a big first step out of my comfort zone. I'm terrified of flying, I don't speak Chinese, and I'll be submerged in a culture completely different from my own.

But I couldn't be more excited about it.

We're still planning the schedule for the trip, but so far we have our main destinations decided. Of course we'll be going to Dalian, Xuechen's hometown. I want to meet his family and see where he grew up.

He's told me so much about it already, and I can't wait to actually see it in person. It sounds beautiful. We're also planning on seeing the big tourist spots, especially in Beijing. The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, The Bird's Nest from the 2008 Olympic Games.

We've decided to go to Shanghai as well. A lot of his friends are from there, so I'm sure we'll get to see them when we visit. I'm excited to see the city because I've heard there's just something special about it that you have to experience.

I can't wait for this trip. As of now, it's about 2 months away. That seems so far away yet so close!

Update: Unfortunately, because I just had wishful thinking and I actually am not rich, I had to scrap Shanghai from the list of destinations. I just didn't have the money or time to afford that in my plans. But we're still set on Dalian and Beijing, so I still feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have parents willing to put up with me for asking for so much from them.

I'm so grateful to them. Love you, mom and dad. xoxo

Memories

Today, before I left home, I sat and looked through a lot of old family photos. I found so many of my favorite pictures from when I was growing up. Some of them have been my favorites since long ago, while others I saw for the first time today. Either way, these images capture my childhood in a way that nothing else could

I love my family.

March Snow

I came back home to Kaukauna for the weekend because for the past week, I've had an awful cold and I figured I could use a little break to recover. It's always nice being back here for a little bit and letting my mom take care of me and make her amazing chicken noodle soup for me.

On Friday, the day I came back, a huge snowfall hit a big part of Wisconsin, and the entire drive home was terrifying. There were parts where we couldn't even see the road in front of us. (On the highway!) But my dad is one of the best drivers I know, so even though it was scary, I felt safe with him driving us back.

With such a huge and powerful snowfall, there's always a sense of peace and calm the day after. While sitting in bed today, I kept glancing out the window and admiring the beautiful blanket of snow that covered everything in sight. So I decided to go for a little walk in my own backyard and take some pictures of it all.

Perfect. Pristine. Peaceful.

It's March 3rd, but here in Wisconsin we still have at least a month of winter!

Madison, WI

My Home.