The first time I ever set foot in San Francisco was in 2006, and everything about it felt like home. It was December but I could still see how beautiful the city was, despite the heavy rain. I remember going to the beach and watching brave surfers ride the waves on those cold mornings. I watched runners jog pass the Pier as I wondered aimlessly around the waterfront. I watched business people in suits, hustling their way through the downtown core. For the first time in years, I tried my hand at tennis. And every night, I slept like a baby to the calming rhythm of the ocean waves.

When I was in San Francisco last month, I spent most of my time on the water with a gorgeous view of the city's skyline. I've missed the water oh so much since moving to Toronto in early July. I miss the smelling the salt in the air. I miss watching children playing on the beach. Toronto is fun in its own right but for me, the ocean will always be home.

I have been to the Golden Gate Bridge a handful of times, and taken the Alcatraz boat cruise that goes directly below it on two separate occasions, but I had never actually been on the bridge, until a few weeks ago.

I couldn’t resist the numerous bike rental shops around Pier 41 so I picked up a bike at Blazing Saddles and headed for a bridge. The topic of my desperately out of shape cardio aside, the ride across Golden Gate Bridge was amazing. The wind was strong, as expected, but “blazing” across the water was a great thrill.

The ride ended at sunny Sausalito, across the bay and a ferry ride away back to the Pier where I started. The entire afternoon spent biking reminded me so much of the my west coast home that I miss. Vancouver and San Francisco are both perfect cities for a very healthy and active lifestyle. The weather is comfortably mild for much of the near, with mountains and waterfront at the doorstep.

One day I will move back to the west coast, but for now I'll have to settle for frequent visits to San Francisco on some good airfare and having rode across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The 3 days I spent within the park was my favourite part of the entire month I spent in China. Having lived in Beijing for a decade, the China I’m used to is covered in dust and smog, hiding all signs of nature and greenery. But I was blown away by ZhangJiaJie's natural beauty and the picturesque scenery - there is truly no place like ZhangJiaJie, anywhere in the world. Beyond the mountains, the area is also home to a beautiful lake (which flows into the dam) and an underground cave. And if the natural beauty wasn't enough, the region is also home to an ethnic Chinese tribe with unique cultural traditions. For example, the brides from this tribe has to cry for at least 3 days prior to her wedding. In fact, it is believed that the longer she can cry, the more desirable of a wife she is.

I loved ZhangJiaJie for its scenic beauty and cultural richness. I also felt connected to the park in many ways. The fresh mountain air reminded me of my school days in Vancouver when I would walk to school in the brisk morning air. At the dam by the park's entrance, I also felt particularly close to my family, to my grandfather and the work he had done there. For the first time in a long time, I felt deeply emotionally connected to a place.



I could not have hoped for a better trip than the one I had to ZhangJiaJie National Forest. The trip reminded me of one of the treasures of traveling. Sometimes a journey can bring me to places miles away from home, to the rural communities of Cuba, to the birthplace of mankind, and to the hidden corners of the earth. But sometimes traveling also bring me full circle - all the way back home.

After spending a month backpacking through hidden parts of China and another month road-tripping across Scandinavia, I received a lot of questions of "Where to next?"

Well, for starters, I moved permanently to Toronto Canada and found a homebase with a sweet view of the CN Tower. In spending the latter part of summer in Toronto, I got to indulge in Asian street food at the local night market. I attended a beautiful wedding in rural Ontario. And I returned to my favorite farmer's market in St. Jacobs County. But having a new home didn't stop me from pursuing foreign affairs. I travelled to San Francisco in August where I stayed in a lovely hotel by the Oakland bay bridge, biked across the Golden Gate Bridge, and indulged in breakfast at a delicious French cafe.

While I didn't get to snap too many pictures with my SLR, I did grab some sweet shots on my phone. Here are some Instagram photos from Toronto and San Francisco.