Happy 2-Year Breakupversary! Two years ago today, everything I thought I knew was stripped away. To embrace the transformation of a 5-year romantic relationship into friendship wasn’t easy. The first two months were endless tears, anguish, lying on the floor lifelessly, not eating and losing a lot of weight, and doubting why I even existed. Then I went back to Europe and the US to embark on my own adventure. I needed to remember how to be independent and whole again, and seek comfort in the arms of people who could hold me in my most vulnerable moments. In December 2019, I was so ready to come back to Shanghai, take my cats and leave for good. But my cats’ paperwork would take so much longer than I imagined. Then…COVID hit. Whatever happened next is history now. For the first time, I started to explore Shanghai for real. I found a community of friends I now call family. I fell in love with another wonderful person and realized I could open my heart again (tho we separated after 7 months). I was so wounded and broken when I first met @narayansilva in Beijing in 2014. I didn’t know I had feelings. I lost hope in humanity. He picked up pieces of me, provided me with a safe environment to start my healing process, and modeled how to be a loving presence in other people’s lives. After 5 years of nurturing and growth, I was ready for my next stage of evolution - to practice unconditional love, to consciously heal past traumas, and to light others’ light with my own. What I thought was the worst day of my life - July 6, 2019 - turned out to be one of the most amazing gifts I could have ever received. One that required me to take a leap of faith. To surrender. To venture into the darkest corners of my heart so I could be reborn in this life. I am forever grateful for walking this journey with you, and now with the addition of our loving community. ❤️

MCO2 DAY SEVENTEEN This is my current view. Sorry for being MIA (did you notice?), I have been a bit under the weather and just needed some time to lay almost lifelessly in bed, safely popping doctor prescribed pills while Baö begs me to play buses with him. This morning he didn’t want to mandi, and then after he mandi, he didn’t want to pakai baju. So this is us right now. Jumaah Mubarakah everyone ❤️

I’ll never forget the feeling when I first stepped into Kawah Putih, or White Crater, in Bandung, Indonesia. There were no birds, no fishes, no fresh greenery or flowers. The lake was a striking milky turquoise, it looked like a cocktail to me, and if not for the rippling waters and happy photo-taking visitors, the area was lifelessly still. A heavy fog hung over the lake, and all around it was white-greenish sand and grey rocks. It was beautiful, mysterious and eerie. There used to be a sulphur mine at White Crater, but production has now ceased. The strong smell of sulphur remains, and though it was not a problem at first, I began coughing after a while and had to put on a mask. I remember reading about how sulphur miners in another part of Indonesia work in arduous conditions, with little protection from poisonous gases that burn their eyes and lungs. Some daily uses of sulphur, or Devil’s Gold, include the production of detergents and fertilizers, and vulcanising rubber. I’m grateful for this unique experience, which gave me a chance to not only marvel at nature’s beauty and wonder, but also think about the people who contribute anonymously to daily conveniences we take for granted, at times even risking their own lives doing it. #KawahPutih #Bandung #Indonesia #Luke妈travels #YES933 #大咖一起来 #大咖一起来短假游