My parents are very protective. When I was young, they told me that the outside world is dangerous. Even when they promised that I will be allowed to go to Jiuzhai Valley, the so-called the Earth’s Heaven, they eventually stopped me from travelling, saying that “what if you die out there”. So I was well-kept in Wuhan, my home town, until 20 years old. 

Starting my first-time travel journey at 20 is by all means very late. My first out-of-home trip was a 6-hour, 280-mile bus trip from Wuhan to Jingdezhen, a city known as the “Porcelain Capital” and has a history over 2000 years. My first out-of-country trip was from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, alone, when I was 24 years old. Until now, I have been travelling in 27 countries/territories, most of which I was alone. And, I am still alive. 

The world isn’t that dangerous, and instead, it is quite exciting and quite unexpected. Most of the people out there are extremely nice. I might once or twice see some guys not that nice, that’s totally fine. You wouldn’t expect everyone will be as nice as you thought. That’s fine. 

In travel, I find many meanings of a life. I start to think about a lot of things. I met many friends with diverse cultural backgrounds, different dialects, different skin colors, different believes, we love different foods and drinks, we have different values, …, no matter how many differents, we all have a very kind heart. In travels, I met many great friendships, many of them still exist. 

I now enjoy the life as a world traveler, to explore the world with full of possibilities. I appreciate the nuances of different cultures and experiences. Now I see the world differently. I have developed a deeper appreciation for the history, culture, and people I have encountered during the travel. I truly appreciate the diversity that during the travel I could experience. I love the idea of thinking everyting and everyone in their own backgrounds, then I will have a different understanding of why. That opens a lot of new ways of looking at the life. 

I have told many of my friends, one of my dreams is to sleep overnight on the airport chairs all over the world. I don’t need to save money, but by doing so, I can truly experience a life as a world traveler, with a backpack that contains all the least necessary belongings. Only one backpack, only one man, to explore the only one world.

Never too late to start a journey. Even it is 20-year-old to first leave my home, started visiting a country or a city that I have dreamed of, heard of, thought of. Until the moments I could stand on its soil, I can finally experience it by myself. 

To me, it is even challenging, because most of my world travels require a visa. But through many work-related travels, like during conferences, academic visitings, or workshops, I could spend an extra day or two to explore the city. As showed above, by Flighty tracking, I have had 193 flights and travelled in 27 countries/territories, and I have seen so many great historical places. This is the life style I will continue experiencing. 

IN TRAVEL, I LIVE.