In this season premiere, I share the story of a family trip to China that I didn’t initially want to take.

For months, my mom had been hoping we would all go together. It was something she deeply wanted—a family trip back to China. Eventually, we said yes. Not because we were excited, but because it felt like something we were doing for her.

I went with hesitation. I had grown up with a distorted image of China in my mind—crowded, chaotic, unfamiliar, and very different from the life I knew in Canada. It wasn’t a place I felt drawn to, and I didn’t expect that to change.

But I also had work responsibilities that brought me there—visiting manufacturing partners for my business and my husband’s new venture—so the timing made sense. It became the practical reason I told myself this trip would still be worthwhile.

What I didn’t expect was that this journey would slowly shift from obligation into something deeply personal.

From Guangzhou to ancestral villages, and onward to the landscapes of Guilin and Zhangjiajie, I moved through places that challenged my assumptions and softened something in me I didn’t realize had hardened.

And somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling like I was simply travelling.

I started feeling like I was being brought back to myself.

Reflections from the Episode

1. What I Thought I Was Experiencing vs What Was Actually Happening

When I first arrived in China, I believed I was reacting to the place itself—its pace, its noise, its unfamiliarity.

But over time, I realized I was also reacting to something internal: my own assumptions, conditioning, and distance from parts of myself I had never fully examined.

I thought I was observing China.
But I was also observing the lens I had been using to interpret difference.

And that lens had been shaped long before this trip.

2. The Healing I Didn’t Recognize While It Was Happening

Growing up as a Chinese-Canadian in the Greater Toronto Area, I experienced exclusion and racism that I didn’t fully understand at the time—but that shaped me nonetheless.

We were the only Chinese family in our neighbourhood. And over time, I learned how to adapt by minimizing difference—how to blend in, how to avoid attention, how to move through everyday life without standing out.

Those lessons followed me quietly into adulthood.

I built a life that was successful, stable, and fully integrated into Canadian identity—but in the process, I also learned how to keep certain parts of myself at a distance.

I didn’t recognize this pattern while I was in China.

It only became clear after I returned home.

Because being in China unexpectedly reversed the dynamic I was used to. I was no longer blending in—I was the foreigner. And that discomfort surfaced something I hadn’t fully processed before.

Only later did I understand that what I was feeling wasn’t just travel disorientation.

It was recognition. And it was healing.

3. Reclaiming Both Identities (Chinese + Canadian)

One of the most lasting shifts from this trip is how I now understand my identity.

For a long time, I felt an unspoken pressure to simplify who I was—to lean more fully into one side of myself in order to make things clearer, easier, or more comfortable.

But this trip softened that divide.

Standing in ancestral halls, walking through cities filled with unfamiliar familiarity, and even hearing Cantonese music I grew up with drift through the streets… I began to feel something shift.

I am Chinese. I am Canadian. I don’t have to choose between them.

They are not competing identities. They are layers of Me.

And today, even in small ways—like playing old Cantonese songs while I cook, or hearing my children hum along without knowing the words—I feel that integration continuing.

What changed wasn’t who I am.

It’s that I stopped trying to separate the parts of me that belong together.

Destination Notes: China

This was our itinerary:

• Guangzhou – 4 days

• Xinhui (ancestral halls) – 2 days

• Guilin & Longsheng (Longji Rice Terraces) – 4 days

• Zhangjiajie – 3 days

Notes on travel time and options:

• Because we travelled as a big family, we rented a van to drive to all the destinations, and the travel times were very long

  • From Xinhui to Guangzhou, it was 7 hours, including a couple of short stops

  • From Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie, it was about 9.5 hours, including a short stop and a longer stop at Fenghuang Ancient Town (which was very cool!)

• You can consider travelling by plane or train between these destinations

• If you want to do the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo, the boat ride is one-way, so you would have to take a bus or taxi to return to Guilin after spending your day in Yangshuo. What we did was sign up for a tour through our hotel, which included a private guide and transportation.

Lodging and attraction recommendations:

Guangzhou

• Stay and shop in the Beijing Road district

• Do the Canton Tower in the evening time and ride the bubble tram

• Explore the Yongqingfang by day and night

Guilin & Longsheng

• In Guilin City, stay at Secret Courtyard Resort Hotel

• Sign up for a tour that includes a Li River cruise, riding e-scooters around the countryside of Yangshuo and visit to Ruyi Peak

• In Longsheng, stay at Longji Terrace La Vie Inn

• Hike the various trails at Longji Rice Terraces and enjoy the views

Zhangjiajie

• Stay at Zhangjiajie Countryard Hotel

• Explore Tianmen Mountain and attend the Fairy Fox Show in the evening

• Spend at least 2 days exploring Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

• Visit Baofeng Lake Scenic Area

Photos from the Trip

Left to right:

First row - Baofeng Lake Scenic Area, Canton Tower in Guangzhou, Guilin on scooter

Second row - Li River scenery on $20 bill, Longji Rice Terraces, Ruyi Peak in Yangshuo

Third row - Tianmen Mountain, Yongqingfang District, Avatar Mountains in Zhangjiajie

Continuing the Conversation

Have you ever visited the country your family comes from—or a place tied to your ancestry?

If you have, did you go with expectations or assumptions that later shifted once you were there?

And if so—how did that experience change the way you see yourself?

I’d love to hear your story.

What’s Coming Next

Next week, we head to Peru—a journey where magic happens when you let go of expectations and live in the moment.

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That sentence still feels surreal to write.

When I first had the idea for a podcast, I had no experience in audio and video production. Since then, it’s been a journey of learning, experimenting, and trusting myself enough to keep going, even when I wasn’t entirely sure where it would lead.

I also want to thank everyone who listened to early drafts, shared feedback, encouraged me, and helped shape the podcast behind the scenes. Your input made the stories stronger and brought me one step closer to the finish line.

Tomorrow, I’ll finally get to share it with you.

For those who are new here, Travel Stories That Stay 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 stories you’ll hear are rooted in travel, but they’re ultimately about something much bigger: curiosity, courage, connection, identity, perspective, and what it means to live a life that feels fully awake.

My hope is that these stories stay with you long after each episode ends.

Not because they’re my stories, but because they might remind you of your own.

And perhaps most of all, I hope this podcast encourages us to move through life a little more intentionally. To pay attention, to stay curious, to notice the moments that might otherwise slip past us.

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing the very first episode and an accompanying article here on Substack.

Until then, if you haven’t listened to the trailer yet, I’d love for you to give it a listen.

The journey officially begins tomorrow.

And I couldn’t be more excited.

Next week, I’ll be launching the first episode of Travel Stories That Stay.

But here’s something most people don’t know: This almost wasn’t a travel podcast.

Half a year ago, I was planning to launch a podcast about midlife reinvention.

At the time, it felt like the obvious choice. It’s a topic I was starting to live myself. Like many women in midlife, I’ve been navigating changing priorities, shifting identities, big questions, and the realization that life doesn’t always look the way you imagined it would.

So I started building around that idea. I was excited by the challenge of creating something completely new—especially something I'd never done before.

But then, over the winter holidays, I felt a need to pause and reevaluate… because I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite clicking.

For a couple of months (it felt more like an eternity, which this past winter was!), I sat in that uncertainty.

Eventually, I asked myself a simple question: “What am I actually excited about?”

Not what seemed practical, not what I thought people needed, and not what seemed like a sensible evolution in the direction of my business.

What am I genuinely excited to spend hours thinking about, creating, and talking about? The answer finally came.

Travel stories.

I've always loved travel. And I've always loved stories… especially the ones that stay with us long after we've landed back at YYZ.

And the funny thing is, choosing this path ended up being its own form of reinvention.

Because in many ways, this podcast is about more than travel stories.

It’s about finally doing something with a passion I’ve carried for decades.

It’s about paying attention to the things that make me come alive instead of pushing them aside because life is busy.

It’s about trusting that not everything has to be practical to be worthwhile.

A week before launch, I still have moments where I wonder what I’m getting myself into.

But mostly, I’m excited.

After years of saying, “Maybe someday,” I finally decided someday was now.

The first episode airs on June 17, 2026.

Fittingly, I'll be sharing a story from China—a trip that taught me something important about myself, and one that feels especially meaningful now as I begin this new chapter.

View Podcast Teaser Video

And honestly… I’ve been sitting with a strange mix of emotions about it all week.

On one hand, I’m genuinely so happy for them. Especially for my husband.

Usually, I’m the one boarding the plane if we’re not doing it together. I’m the one chasing the next experience, the next story, the next adventure. And always grateful that he’s so amazing at holding down the fort at home.

So there’s something really beautiful about him getting this experience with our son.

We took him to Banff when he was one year old. But he doesn’t remember it. He was too young to remember the majestic mountains, or those unreal turquoise lakes, or the feeling of standing in front of something so breathtaking it makes you feel small (in a good way).

But now he’s sixteen. Now he can carry the memory. And I love that his dad gets to be the one beside him for it.

But still…

A part of me wishes I was there too. I admit that there will always be a part of me that aches when I know there’s beauty happening somewhere else and I’m not inside of it. (ugh… that FOMO.)

And maybe this phase of life is about learning how to hold contradictory feelings without trying to solve them.

Because the truth is, I also love being here.

There was a time in my life when I wanted to be everywhere all at once. I was impulsive, restless, always chasing movement, parties, people, possibility. I was the kind of girl who said yes to everything.

And honestly, I still have some of that in me.

But now there’s another version too.

The mother. The nurturer.
The one who finds comfort in quiet mornings working from home.
The one learning that building a beautiful life isn’t only about leaving… it’s also about staying.

I think that’s the strange ache of growing into a more rooted version of yourself while still carrying the soul of someone who wants to run toward the horizon.

So today, while they’re somewhere near the mountains probably stopping every five minutes to take photos, I’m here.

And strangely enough, I think I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be too.

Even if part of me will always be looking toward the horizon.

I enrolled into Spanish class the very next semester and fell in love with the language from the very first class. I am not sure if was the anticipation of going to a tropical island, or the fun and engaging teacher, or if I just had a natural talent for the language, but I picked up the basics quite quickly.

My grandma kept her promise and little Leslie went on her first trip without her own parents. Back then, travel felt like something distant and magical — something a young person of my background did not have the opportunity to do.

But that’s what my grandma did… she was always giving me opportunities and opening my eyes to new worlds, such as the forest, the lake, and in this case, a different part of the world.

My memories of the trip appear as scenes of a movie. I remember thinking how exotic it all felt to me. And at the same time, we were not treated like strangers. My grandma had local friends, and they welcomed us warmly and spent many days with us, as if we were relatives visiting home.

We were very lucky to experience the destination with locals and get a glimpse into Cuban life.

I came home different. I was awakened.

Over the years, travel has become one of the great passions of my life, not because of luxury or escape, but because of what it gives me emotionally and spiritually:
perspective,
connection,
wonder,
humility,
courage,
and some of the most unforgettable moments of my life.

Last week, I posted an Instagram reel sharing a small piece of this story. If you’ve already seen it there, thank you for carrying this memory with me.

And if you have been following me over at my Do Good Paper Co. account, you may know that my dear grandma passed away a few weeks ago.

Today, as I sit here writing this, I am feeling a mix of nostalgia, longing, gratitude, and also sadness.

Because tomorrow, my family and I will be going to my grandma’s house to read her final will and testament, and begin packing up her belongings.

It’s strange how life works sometimes.

One day you’re remembering the person who opened the world to you.
The next, you’re walking through the home they left behind.

And maybe that’s part of why I feel an urgency to begin this space now.

Because stories matter.
People matter.
The moments that shape us matter.

Travel tips expire.
But the human truths underneath them don’t.

So, before the podcast launches next month, I wanted to begin here:
with recognition.

For my Grandma.
For the trip that started everything.
And for the version of myself that stepped onto a plane all those years ago without knowing how much my Grandma herself and that trip would have an influence on me for the rest of my life.

If there’s a place, person, or journey that changed the direction of your life, I’d genuinely love to hear about it in the comments.

Because if those stories have stayed with you all these years, maybe they will touch the readers here.

For a long time, I’ve wanted to create a space dedicated to the kinds of travel experiences that stay with us long after we unpack our bags.

Not just the highlight reels or perfectly curated itineraries, but the moments that surprise us, humble us, challenge us, reconnect us to humanity, and quietly change the way we move through the world.

That’s what Travel Stories That Stay is all about.

As an entrepreneur juggling a couple of small businesses and a family, I can’t travel nearly as much as I’d like — so creating this podcast is my way of keeping that adventurous spirit alive.

I’m excited (and honestly a little nervous) to share that Season 1 of the podcast is tentatively launching on June 17, 2026.

Each episode will feature meaningful travel stories, reflections on personal growth and perspective shifts, memorable encounters from around the world, and glimpses into the destinations themselves. Along the way, I’ll also be sharing behind-the-scenes stories, newsletter reflections, and stories from fellow travellers here on Substack.

If you’ve ever had a journey change you in some way, or if you simply believe travel can make us more open-minded, courageous, and connected, I think you’ll feel at home here.

And because the best travel stories are rarely the polished ones, I’d also love to hear yours. Send me your story.

Thanks for being here at the very beginning. I truly can’t wait to share this journey with you.

— Leslie