Serene

a chinese/american/british perspective

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  • Chile,  La Ruta de Los Parques,  Travel

    ‘Are we on Plan F yet?’: the first six weeks in Chile

    Ask any of my friends and family, and they’ll tell you that I’m a planner. From weekend trips abroad to group dinners in London, I tend to be the organizer. So it would surprise no one that for these six…

    November 21, 2018
  • Chile,  Travel

    Resilience on the road

    It’s been nearly 3 weeks and over 3000 km since we set off from Santiago, a period of such intensity that I’ve barely had the energy to reflect, let alone write. Buying a camper in a foreign country and undertaking…

    November 7, 2018

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⁣⁣One of the best silver linings of this globa ⁣⁣One of the best silver linings of this global pandemic is that our planet is finally getting a breather. This is a photo of me from February 2019, meditating in front of the Huemul glacier in Argentinean Patagonia. The stillness was broken only by the sound of streaming water, a sad and persistent reminder of the glacier's constant melt and retreat. I am a far more responsible global citizen thanks to days like that, witnessing the impacts of climate change in one of the wildest regions left on our planet. ⠀ ⠀⠀ And so my #hopeforearth on this #earthday2020 is that we come out of this global experience with a better appreciation of our needs vs. our wants. Love, connection, gratitude - these are the foundations to life - not material goods and belongings. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Check out earthday.org for some incredible resources and tips for sustainability. Each of us can do better, and we owe it to younger generations to try. ⠀
#tbt to the day I promised myself I would someday #tbt to the day I promised myself I would someday take a career break to properly explore Patagonia. It was a moment of inspiration during this stunning late autumn hike outside Bariloche, Argentina. I remember it like it was yesterday. That one moment on that one day was the butterfly wing flutter that set off a hurricane in my life (in a good way). Life is one hell of an adventure. 💜
⁣“If you can see your path laid out in front o ⁣“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take.“ - Joseph Campbell⠀ ⠀ Today, is a big step.⠀ ⠀ Today, I’m leaving London - my home of nearly a decade.⠀ ⠀ Today, I’m moving to Seattle - a city I’ve visited for all of 3.5 days, ever.⠀ ⠀ Today, and every day, I am grateful for this crazy ride called life.⠀ ⠀ Thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey so far. I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you.⠀ ⠀ Time for the next phase of the adventure!
⁣This is what Patagonia is all about: unbelievab ⁣This is what Patagonia is all about: unbelievable wilderness, rapidly changing weather, and smiling all the time because it’s impossible not to. ⠀ ⠀ I rarely posted while traveling because 1) I was focused on the experience and 2) we rarely had signal since we wild camped a lot. Both those excuses are out the window now, but I’ve still been far more reluctant to post about those months in Patagonia than I was expecting. There’s so much knowledge and travel advice I want to share about the region, that I know would be valuable for fellow travelers. Yet, writing it down somehow feels like I’ll be fully bookending this short, but critical chapter of my life. I’m still not sure I’m ready to let go.⠀ ⠀ But, every end is a new beginning. So, I’ve started drafting a guide to planning your route down the carretera austral and through Patagonia. Because every journey starts with a plan, even if it goes haywire from day one.
The thunderous boom of an iceberg calving off a gl The thunderous boom of an iceberg calving off a glacier is an unforgettable sound. It’s also one of the many memories from Patagonia fueling my goal to pivot my career and make a difference in saving our planet. Link in bio for my reflections on #londonclimateactionweek and why @cfigueres thinks climate change is “the best crisis we’ve ever created”. **.** It’s time to transform how we eat, how we work, and how we live.
One year and one week ago, I started a year-long c One year and one week ago, I started a year-long career break. One week ago, I started unemployment. My journey through Patagonia has changed me forever. Link in bio for my latest blog: why I chose to resign rather than return to my job, what I’m thinking in terms of next steps, and how being vulnerable has transformed my life. #daringgreatly
This year’s #WorldEnvironmentDay campaign of #Be This year’s #WorldEnvironmentDay campaign of #BeatAirPollution has made me reflect and appreciate the air we breathe more than ever. — After months in Patagonia, I was accustomed to fresh air every single day. Photo 1 of me by the Futaleufú river is one of hundreds I could choose to showcase the clean air. Despite lots of hiking and hectic traveling, I never had a fever or anything more than a minor sore throat in six months in South America. — Then I flew to China and the unrelenting smog that plagues its cities. Photo 2 shows Chongqing on a ‘good’ day, because you can see blue sky over the smog. In six weeks in China, I struggled through two colds and a fever. I won’t get into causation vs correlation, but I could feel a difference in my health. —— Last week, the primary reason I chose to take a bus (12 hours) instead of fly (1.5 hours) from Santiago to Puerto Varas was to reduce my emissions where possible. We each make decisions every single day that can help our environment. Let’s all contribute however we can, recognizing that everyone will do so their own way.
Torres del Paine is thousands of years old, but it Torres del Paine is thousands of years old, but it’s been a Chilean national park for exactly 60. Protecting places like this is more important now than ever. // Torres del Paine tiene miles de años, pero ha sido un parque nacional de Chile por 60 años exactamente. Es más importante que nunca que protejamos lugares como ese.
#tbt to the hauntingly beautiful Balmaceda glacier #tbt to the hauntingly beautiful Balmaceda glacier in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. Like almost all of Patagonia’s glaciers, it’s melting rapidly due to climate change. Another reminder that we must do more to save our planet. ~*~*~ #tbt al bellísimo glaciar Balmaceda en PN Bernardo O’Higgins. Como la mayoría de los glaciares de la Patagonia, el glacier está derritiendo rápidamente a causa del cambio climático. Es otro recuerdo que tenemos que hacer más para salvar nuestro planeta.
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