How I Found Love & Life Through a Chinese Internship

Most are too busy with real life to have time to go out and meet new people. We simply do not want to risk our sacred leisure time on something unknown.

I personally used to prefer going out to a familiar bar with an old friend than delving into an event attended by strangers. However, my life changed after I started my internship at the Global Times Metro Shanghai.

I was assigned to cover many amazing events in this equally amazing city. Never before did I know that Shanghai was so abundant with arts and entertainment. Free lectures held by encouraging speakers in Chinese and English, movie screenings about essential topics and curious facts of life, art and photo exhibitions, big festivals and small concerts were just some of the opportunities available to me every day.

I visited exhibitions by Dutch designers and Chinese photographers. I was introduced to the concept of electronic music festivals and I befriended some diplomats. I now know how to contribute to saving water and have more in-depth knowledge about the global air pollution crisis. I was also exposed to helping children and animals in need around China.

After four months of such breathtaking experiences, I realized I had not only enriched my knowledge, but also met more people than I ever had before – including the man who would become the love of my life.

This is how it happened. At one of the events I was assigned to cover, I made contact with one of the event organizers, Kerry, who later became a close friend. As a person who takes a very active position in life, Kerry introduced me to other people and invited me to many exciting events.

One day she asked me to join her at a beer festival. I remember feeling hesitant about whether or not to go. I was extremely busy at the time, running between my college classes to the newspaper office to events I had to write about. However, instead of spending Saturday at home, I forced myself to get up and go to this beer festival.

That decision literally changed my life. At that festival I met a man who I later fell deeply in love with. After moving in together, I realized that the decision to expose myself to new things instead of being lazy gave me the greatest happiness in life.

So the next time you decide to spend an evening in front of the TV, or the whole weekend in bed, take note: keeping yourself busy is the key to a happier life. In addition, a new study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal says that a jam-packed schedule is associated with better brain function.

What one must do is use WeChat to check sections like “What is happening in Shanghai this weekend” or “Events in Shanghai this month.” You will be surprised how many options are available.

Going out more often is not only a step forward to becoming social, but also a way to change one’s life. I hope my story will motivate you, dear reader, to expose yourself to something new whenever you have a chance. Because every day is a new opportunity, but if you never try, you will never know.