when abroad.

circa July 2019

7,636 miles. 19 hours. 1 month.

How long does it take to break a habit? During the summer of 2019, I traveled abroad to Shanghai, China, and experienced life through a whole new lens. During this trip, I documented my journey through random journal entries and an endless amount of photos. Some days abroad were better than others but each day I learned to live in the moment. What would you do if you could experience life in someone else’s shoes?

July 11, 2019
23:59

Diamonds are a girls best friend— if the price is right. Everything comes at a price, did you know that? I never understood that concept fully until I walked into the world of bargaining, foreign bargaining at that. Today, I went on a trip to the market. One bus, three metro lines, and many aching footsteps is all it took for me to reach no man’s land. At every corner there were vendors and shops, all it took was one second to make eye contact with the one who sells and like a fish, you’re hooked.
I learned fairly quickly to not settle for less— but that was a lesson I’ve been taught since birth. It was exciting, being able to barter & bargain, getting things for one, two, even three times less than the original price. We were bamboozled by a vendor speaking sweet nothings into our ears. Had it not been for my calm, yet serious words, they would’ve left with no money, no business, and a mouthful of words that should only be spoken with a whisper if that
at the company of my peers. Although the man was smart, I was smarter & we left with a full wallet, the items we wanted, and our dignity— leaving them wishing we were the gullible foreigners they perceived us as.

July 13, 2019

06:25

The culture is different here.

The old and young mothers often tell their daughters to lower their voices so they don’t appear too strong when speaking out. the old and young men, filled with their gawking and gazing, make lewd remarks & gestures which makes me question if that’s how their mother raised them. they force women into boxes wrapped tightly with a secured bow by limiting their choices of clothing— witnessing their Forever 21 being closed because of how it suggests that they’re “too free, too expressive, too out-there” was a prime example of it.

The culture is different here. Covered from top to bottom with scribbles, signatures, and doodles is a wall placed in the center of the Water Town. With a pen, I made a mark & decided to make my presence here known. A vision is only as good as the person executing it however, a person can only be good when they recognize the giver of the vision.

The culture is different here but with every difference, I recognize a little more may place in the world— filled with mini-lessons, inside and outside of the classroom & in due time, I’ll know the meaning of them but until then, I’m here for the journey until it’s time for the destination.

July 15, 2019

12:20pm

everything is always about perspective. as a creative, I believe that that mindset is embedded in me, rooted so deeply that I couldn’t break it even if I wanted too. yet like a coin, perspective is double sided. we tend to view the positive only when it favors us. for myself, I realize that I tend to put others needs before my own and although it’s a good concept, there are times where others use it against me. but sometimes, you gotta take one for the team. is the glass half empty or full?

Did I lose something or did someone gain a blessing? yes, the road may be long but at least the view is worth it— when your perspective changes, your mindset follows. saddling up on the high horse, putting yourself aside— we call that growth. Who needs 21 days to break a habit when I caught it in fifteen?

Patience leads to perseverance which results in progress— the road may be long but whew, the view is spectacular.