I was born in Massachusetts and raised in New Jersey to Taiwanese immigrant parents. In so many ways, my upbringing was shaped by my experience as a Second-generation Asian American– trying to fit in but not quite getting there. Most of the time, this felt just fine to me– who doesn’t love a dinner of winter melon soup with a side of frozen pizza (My mom’s nod to Americanism)? But sometimes, not fitting in was downright tough to deal with.

It took a long time for me to love my differences. It took a lot of travel, a lot of searching, a lot of work– to feel settled with me and believe in what I do. Thank goodness for close family and amazing friends. Thank goodness for patients that challenge me and teach me. And thank goodness for warm beaches, long runs, hugs, and a good glass of wine. All of those things definitely helped too.