300. 300 Days

Today is the 300th day of our morning reading club. It’s also my birthday. So I thought I’d write a few words to reflect on the past 300 days and the past year. This time last year, I had already left Beijing after more than ten years of life and work. I was staying in Zhuhai with my wife’s family and our young son. My wife and I had always wanted to travel together for an extended time, but had always had reasons, real or imagined, why we were unable to do it. As part of deciding to leave Beijing and my job, we decided to take a sabbatical year, spending time with family and traveling together. We were a bit concerned about traveling with our one-year-old son, so we started with some shorter trips to see how he responded, and he loved it. So we were off! We spent several months based with my wife’s family in Zhuhai, and took several short trips within China and around Asia. Then in July we went to Europe for a three-month stay that ended with a flight from Paris to my home in North Carolina. We stayed in the US for several months, based with my family but taking a trip every couple of weeks. In late January of this year we flew back to Zhuhai for spring festival, and now we’re back in Beijing for at least two months. I’m so grateful for the year of traveling with my family. Most of the time we stayed in AirBnBs, and we met so many wonderful people around the world. In 2016 alone, we stayed in over 40 different “homes” (including a few of hotels). We watched our little boy grow up in cities around the world: he took his first steps in Japan, made friends in every restaurant, and found apples and owls in paintings and shops wherever we went. I’m also grateful for the past 300 days of our morning reading club. It started with the basic idea that effective practice will lead to results, and it’s grown into a community of motivated learners that I have the privilege to interact with each day. I’ve been moved by each and every reader’s desire to learn English, and by the stories that many of you have shared with me. Your feedback helps the morning reading club continue to improve. I’m 37 years old today. Over the next year, I hope to continue to develop a life that allows me to prioritize quality time with family, and to work to support more and more Chinese students to learn English in a fun and effective way. As we approach the beginning of the second year of our morning reading club, I’m thinking of ways to reach more people and provide more useful and effective support. I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions, and I’m grateful for your support. Let’s keep improving together!