In this season premiere of Travel Stories That Stay, I share the story of a trip I never thought would change me. When my mom said that her one wish was for the family to travel to China together, we reluctantly agreed. Partly because we wanted to fulfill her wish, and partly because I had business there with the manufacturing partner I work with through my journal company. What I didn't expect was that the journey would reconnect me with a part of myself I had quietly pushed aside for years. We begin in Guangzhou, where many of my assumptions about China seemed to be confirmed—crowded streets, endless traffic, noise everywhere. But beneath the chaos, familiar Cantonese pop songs from my childhood stirred something nostalgic. From there, we visited my parents' ancestral halls, where I felt an unexpected connection to generations of family who came before me. Later, the breathtaking landscapes of Guilin and Zhangjiajie challenged everything I thought I knew about China and left me in awe. After returning home to Canada, I began to realize how disconnected I had become from my Chinese roots. Growing up as one of the only Chinese families in my neighbourhood, childhood experiences with racism had shaped me in ways I hadn't fully recognized. This trip helped me begin reconnecting with my culture, my identity, and parts of myself that had been waiting quietly to be acknowledged. In this episode, we explore: - The assumptions we carry about places—and ourselves - How travel can help us reconnect with our identity - The emotional impact of visiting ancestral places - Why Guangzhou, Guilin, and Zhangjiajie surprised me - The healing that can happen when we step outside our everyday lives - A few destination insights and tips for visiting China One of the biggest lessons I took away from this journey is simple: Sometimes we don't know what we need until we go. Destinations featured: - Guangzhou - Guilin - Zhangjiajie If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves meaningful travel stories. And if you'd like more travel stories, reflections, itineraries, lodging and attraction recommendations from each episode, behind-the-scenes adventures, and updates on future episodes, I'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to my newsletter:https://travelstoriesthatstay.substack.com/ Follow along on this podcast journey ⬇️ Substack: https://travelstoriesthatstay.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelstoriesthatstay/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelstoriesthatstay And if you have a travel story to share, submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0JAGGjzWXWbfnq-JsdFVDJSGg3Nfh7CX6a2EiulJnJx0EqA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111360847823946796266 Travel Stories That Stay is a podcast about journeys, moments, and encounters that change us—and the lessons they leave behind long after we return home. Thanks for being here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit travelstoriesthatstay.substack.com
