GirlGI | Girl Gone International Issue 6 | Page 20

11. When hurricane Irene hit NYC, I was away on a

day trip to see my favorite metal band in Trenton,
NJ. I didn’t want my wallet to get stolen, so I had
just brought $30 and was planning to get back to
New York right after the concert. I ended up being
stuck in a hotel that I couldn’t afford with no money, no food, no water and no clothes for a couple
of days, but at least I learned how to outsmart the
hotel vending machine.

12. I spoke Chinglish for the first couple of months

of living in Beijing and I wasn’t embarrassed.
There’s no embarrassment in not knowing about
a culture or a custom, only in not being willing to
learn.

13. I fought a hardcore gag reflex while eating a
bowl of shark fin soup in Hong Kong and won.

14. Having friendships and relationships with

expiration dates is not easy. However painful it
may be, this is one of the most precious lessons
I have learned here – how to cherish every moment you spend with someone, as you never know
when they/you will hop on a plane and move 8,000
km away.