What is your favorite travel memory?
My favorite trip memory would have to be when I went to Weishan Old Town because I was able to completely engross myself in the two things I love most – studying and traveling. Since high school I have been studying Chinese and within those short two weeks, not only did my Chinese level improve drastically, but also my love for China. The highlight of my trip was sitting on the kitchen step chatting with my host mother for hours on end. Slowly, my knowledge of Chinese cooking, speaking ability, and vocabulary improved.
At the end of the trip, I felt like family. I will never forget how warm and welcoming this family was. By the end of the trip the host mother asked me call her Mom - and so I did. Weishan is my 'home away from home'. Although it was only a short two weeks, the memory and feeling will last a lifetime. Every time I go back to Yunnan, China, I make it a priority to see them again.
Which destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?
In my opinion, Voodoo Donuts in downtown Portland is a popular and overrated tourist destination in Oregon. They are famous for large pink boxes and interesting donut designs, however, lines just to get in the front door wrap around the block. Once inside, you must order fast and leave. If you are destined on getting a voodoo donut at an authentic location, try going to the location on the other side of the river. Lines are sometimes shorter and there is inside seating.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
In my opinion, employee communication is the biggest factor in being a successful company. If everyone is able to communicate and articulate his or her thoughts in a clear and concise fashion, then a company runs like a well-oiled machine. Information does not fall through the cracks, thus leading to mistakes.
Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of your current team.
Well, I just joined WildChina’s Education Team and since then have only worked on one project. Recently, we have been finding photos for some new trips that will go live on the website, shortly. We have almost finished resizing, optimizing, and uploading them all. Actually, a few trips went live last week. It’s a great feeling looking at all of our hard work.
