I am an American born Chinese. I grew up in San Gabriel, a bustling suburb filled with Chinese people in Los Angeles. My mother always taught me to be proud of my Chinese heritage, but since the motherland was so far from home, I grew up an American. I ate my rice every day, enjoyed Dim Sum on the weekends and spoke Cantonese to my family every night. However, I always missed the true feeling of being a real Chinese person. When my mother told me about the Sing Tao music competition, I was delighted. Though nervous, I gave it my all on competition day and was lucky enough to snag the trip to return to the mother land.

I never thought that I would meet such amazing people on the trip. This past week has literally been the best week of my entire life. I am definitely impacted by the landscape, culture, and friends that I have been able to embrace. The synergy of this group is totally astounding. I have never met a group of people so in tune with each before in my life.