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

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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 isn't a podcast about travel tips, bucket lists, or must-see destinations. It's about the stories that emerge when we step outside our everyday lives—the moments that surprise us, challenge us, connect us, and reveal something about ourselves and the world around us.

Because travel tips expire. Human truths don't.

🎙️ The first episode launches June 17, 2026.

Follow along on this podcast journey ⬇️

Substack: https://travelstoriesthatstay.substack.com

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelstoriesthatstay