When I began learning Mandarin in fifth grade, I had no idea where it would take me. All I knew was that only one teacher cooked scallion pancakes during class hours, and I wanted to keep taking that class as long as possible. Fourteen Chinese courses later, I can say that 1) I knocked that goal out of the park, and 2) it’s still a language that challenges and ignites me. After many candy-fueled cram sessions, Mahjong Club victories, calligraphy lessons, and a two-year Chinese language and community outreach fellowship all stateside, I am lucky enough to be traveling to Beijing, China and Taipei, Taiwan to continue my studies.

I am first landing in Beijing at Capital Normal University, where I will concentrate on modern Chinese politics and government systems through a program called Middlebury in Beijing. During this program, I will sign a language pledge to not speak any English for the duration of the semester. Then, after a Christmas break spent at home in the U.S., I will fly to National Taiwan University in Taipei to study Taiwanese cultural practices and relations with China through CET Taiwan. My language immersion experience is generously being funded by the Richard U. Light Fellowship, based out of Yale University.

I hope that this blog will be a true window into my life in China and Taiwan: at times informal and frivolous, often candid, and always thoughtful. I seek to document my experiences as they occur—a digital archive of memories—but also to reflect on those experiences in a meaningful way. I want to remember not just what happened but also how I felt, why those memories are significant, and the ways I am growing through my experiences in knowledge, cultural awareness, and personal strength. I appreciate you following along—it makes me feel as though my family and friends are on this journey with me.