Right now, I work as an English teacher in Xinjiang. I've had an amazing time getting to know students from many different ethnic groups and many different parts of China. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit my friend in Kisilzu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, where I rode a yak, drank fermented horse milk, and held a hunting eagle on my arm. In college, I studied abroad in Ecuador, where I volunteered in a mountain village of Kichwa indigenous people and learned to see the world from their unique point of view.

I have a deep interest in learning history and culture, which leads me to soak in information about the place where I live much like a sponge absorbs water. I know all the must-see places in my city and all the places that aren't really worth it. I'll take you to the best Uyghur bakery in the city, pinpoint the best dapanji, narin, laghman, chao mifen, and I'll even help you to avoid that one overrated local ice cream parlor that every guide book recommends even though you can find the same quality elsewhere at a much, much cheaper price. I can also introduce you to my local friends of various ethnic origins to give a broader perspective to this place I call home.