Hey friends welcome to another episode with my husband Steve. This walking chat ( a conversation recorded during our evening walk) started with our thoughts and feelings post our family trip to Puerto Rico, and extended to various directions including neighborhood drama, parenting and future plans 😂 also ADHD. Steve is very excited that one of our listeners wanted to hear more from him. Let’s show him so love, shall we? Have a beautiful day or night friends, and I’ll see you soon!

Anthony出生于我的邻居城市苏州，但他的人生版图早已延伸到了英国。在那里，他和家人生活了11年，也曾作为一名持证教师教授经济学。经历了一些人生转变并回到中国后，他开始以全新的视角重新理解自己，关于人与人之间的“连接”，关于如何以不同的心态去玩人生这场“游戏”，以及如何与中国年轻一代一起探索更多新的可能性。 我们有很多相似的价值观和人生经历，所以这次聊天格外轻松、有趣，也非常投入，虽然我可能说得稍微有点多。无论如何，希望你会喜欢这期播客，听两位依然头发健在的中年人，一起聊聊人生 😊 FIND ANTHONY @岸冬泥的英语角 Born and raised in my neighboring city of Suzhou, Anthony later expanded his life “map” to the UK, where he lived with his family for 11 years and also worked as a certified Economics teacher. After going through some major life changes and moving back to China, he gained a deeper understanding of himself, developing a new perspective on “bonding” with others, approaching the “game” of life with a different mindset, and exploring new possibilities with the younger generation in China. We share many similar values and life experiences, which made this conversation especially fun and engaging, even though I may have talked a little too much. Still, I hope you enjoy this podcast featuring two middle aged people who somehow still have all of their hair 😊

In the second half of our conversation, things became much lighter and warmer. Amber shared a touching little story about her child bringing shrimp home from school just for her — such a simple moment, yet full of unconditional love. She told me how becoming a mother has slowly helped her heal parts of herself she didn’t even realize were still hurting. We also talked about the many wonderful people she has met through her livestream community, and how meaningful genuine human connection can be in today’s world. More than anything, I hope Amber realizes that she herself is already one of those beautiful people — brave, sincere, and deserving of all the love and kindness life has to offer. Amber抖音：@咕噜咕噜 这一期的后半段轻松了很多，也让我觉得特别温暖。 Amber 和我分享了一件很可爱的小事：她的孩子从学校给她带回了一些虾。就是这样一个简单的小举动，却让她深深感受到孩子那种毫无保留的爱。她也聊到，成为母亲之后，她其实是在一边养育孩子，一边重新疗愈自己。 我们还聊到了她在英语直播间里遇到的许多优秀又真诚的朋友，以及人与人之间那些真实连接所带来的力量。 而我也特别希望 Amber 能意识到，其实她自己就是那个勇敢、温暖又美好的人。她值得被爱，也值得生命里所有好的东西。

I felt deeply touched by my friend Amber’s story, especially as someone who also grew up being raised by grandparents. There was something very familiar in the emotions she described — the quiet loneliness, the longing to be seen, and the complicated love that exists within many traditional families. What moved me even more was her resilience and honesty. Despite growing up with the absence of parental attention in certain ways, she has remained incredibly warm, thoughtful, and genuine. Listening to her speak, I kept feeling how much strength can exist inside someone who has gone through difficult experiences without losing their softness. In this episode, we talked about childhood, healing, motherhood, and the long journey of understanding ourselves and our parents. I’m truly proud of the person she has become, and I can’t wait for you to hear her story. Find Amber @咕噜咕噜 on 抖音 这一期的聊天让我很触动。作为一个同样由祖辈带大的孩子，我在 Amber 的故事里听到了很多熟悉的情绪——那种成长中的孤独感、渴望被看见的心情，以及传统家庭里复杂而真实的爱。 但更打动我的，是她身上的坚韧与坦诚。即使成长过程中缺少了一部分来自父母的关注与理解，她依然保有一种非常温暖、真诚又有力量的状态。她没有因为经历过的事情变得冷漠，反而更加能够理解别人，也更认真地面对生活。 这一期，我们聊到了童年、疗愈、成为母亲之后的变化，以及如何重新理解自己与父母之间的关系。 我真的很为她感到骄傲，也很期待你能听见她的故事。

In the later part of our conversation, Sherely and I reflected on our roles as daughters and mothers. Through raising children and building committed relationships with our spouses, we’ve both come to understand ourselves more clearly as individuals. Growth is hard, and motherhood can be deeply challenging, but the rewards are also uniquely meaningful and beautiful. 在谈话的后半部分，Sherely 和我一起聊到了作为女儿与母亲的角色。通过养育孩子，以及与伴侣建立长期而坚定的关系，我们都更加清晰地认识了“自己”这个人。成长并不容易，母亲这个身份也充满挑战，但它所带来的满足、意义与幸福，同样是独特而珍贵的。 Sherely抖音账号：🌰栗子说英语Sherely

Sherely is a daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, and English content creator. Beyond all these roles, she is also a fun-loving, empathetic, and resilient woman who grew up in the mountains. In the first half of our conversation, she shared stories from her childhood and reflected on how becoming a mother has helped her understand herself more deeply through the mirror of motherhood. Sherely是一位女儿、孙女、妻子、母亲，也是一名英文内容创作者。 在这些身份之外，她还是一个在山里长大、热爱生活、富有共情力且坚韧的人。 在访谈的上半部分，她与我们分享了自己的童年故事，也谈到了成为母亲之后，她如何通过“母职”这面镜子，更深地理解自己。Find her on 抖音@🌰栗子说英语Sherely

In this episode, I sat down with my friend Patrick — a trilingual interpreter who has worked at the highest level, including live interpretation for global events. We talked about what it feels like to move between languages, how culture shapes the way we see the world, and what it means to share your voice on social media today. More than anything, this conversation kept returning to one simple idea: how to stay true to yourself while navigating work, life, and opportunity. Patrick shared reflections that stayed with me — about following intuition, enjoying both work and life, and the belief that the purpose of life is to leave this world with a cleaner, more refined soul. It was an easy and joyful conversation, and I hope it brings you something meaningful too. 这一期，我和朋友 Patrick 聊了一次很轻松但也很有深度的对话。 他是一位多语种的同声传译，长期在国际舞台上工作。我们聊到了语言之间切换的感受，中国与拉丁文化的差异，以及在社交媒体表达自己的体验。 但这期让我印象更深的，是我们反复谈到的一个点——在不断变化的环境中，如何保持内心的真实。 他分享了很多让我很有共鸣的想法，比如顺从直觉去选择生活，享受工作本身，以及那句我很喜欢的话：人生的意义，是让自己的灵魂在离开时，比来时更纯净一些。

这一期，我讲一个关于成长的故事。 一个在两个家庭之间长大的小女孩，学会在不同的空间里切换自己：在家里安静克制，在外面开朗明亮。那些看似矛盾的样子，其实是她当时唯一可行的生存方式。 这些经历并没有留在过去，它们进入了我的成年、我的选择，也进入了我成为母亲之后的生活。直到有一天，我开始直面这些重量——看清它们从哪里来，也看清它们如何影响我。 我开始用新的眼光去理解父母，也重新理解那个曾经的自己。她不是脆弱，她是有能力活下来的孩子。 如果你也习惯在不同的人面前变成不同的样子，如果你也在等待被看见、被理解——你并不需要一直等待。你可以在自己身上，建立一个清晰而稳定的位置。你可以承接过去，也可以决定此刻的方向。 这是我走过的一段路，也是我现在站立的地方。 In this episode, I share a deeply personal story about growing up between two emotional worlds — and the long journey of learning how to come home to myself. As a child, I learned to become different versions of myself in different spaces: quiet and careful at home, lively and open at school. What felt like confusion at the time was, in truth, a form of survival. Years later, I carried that invisible weight into adulthood, across countries and into motherhood, until I finally began the slow and difficult process of healing — through distance, reflection, and learning to set boundaries with the people I love most. If you grew up learning to adapt, to stay small, or to wait to be seen — this episode is for you. Because one day, you may realize that you no longer need to wait. You can build your own sense of home, from within.

Hi friends, welcome back. Today, I want to tell you a very simple story — about a bookshelf, a messy room, and a quiet moment of realizing that I've finally grown into myself. This is a story about change that doesn't come from pressure, but from small, unexpected moments. About letting go of the past without losing it. And about becoming your own anchor, slowly and gently. 大家好，欢迎回来。 今天想和你分享一个很简单的故事——从一个的书架开始，一间曾经凌乱的房间，还有一个让我突然意识到“我好像真的长大了”的时刻。 这不是一个关于努力改变自己的故事，而是关于那些不经意发生的小变化；关于如何在不否定过去的情况下放下它；也关于，慢慢成为可以依靠的自己。

这一期，我们聊“压力”。 Robert 分享了他对压力的看法——压力并不是可以被彻底消除的东西，而是我们需要学会与之共处的一部分。既然压力无法避免，我们能做的，是更好地管理它，并在生活中找到一种更平衡的状态。 我们先聊到了为什么在当今社会，尤其是年轻人，会面临越来越多的压力。接着，我们也探讨了如何更好地照顾自己，比如把运动融入日常生活，以及有意识地减少那些让我们消耗的关系和环境。 生活本就不完美，人也不完美。或许，学会与压力共存，是我们能给自己的一种更现实、也更温柔的方式。 In this episode, Robert shares his perspective on stress — not as something we can eliminate, but something we learn to live with. Since stress is an inevitable part of life, the key lies in managing it and finding a more balanced way of living. We begin by exploring why stress has become so common in today’s world, especially among younger people. Then we talk about how we can better take care of ourselves — by incorporating exercise into our daily routines and being more mindful of the people and environments we engage with. Life is not perfect, and neither are people. Perhaps learning to coexist with stress is one of the most realistic and compassionate things we can do for ourselves.

In this episode, we explore what it means to be a woman in today’s world — not through a single definition, but through many voices. This is a special collaboration with my fellow podcaster Linsey, together with a group of wonderful women we met online: Limehouse, Chill, 29, Eleven, Sherely, Sippy, and Winnie. Through a series of questions and shared reflections, we talk about topics such as femininity and feminism, the myths around women and female friendships, the expectations placed on women as we grow up, and the challenges we continue to navigate. Each of us comes from different backgrounds and life stages — single or married, younger or more experienced — yet there is something deeply connecting in the way we see, question, and experience the world. This episode is not about defining feminism, but about holding space for different perspectives, different stories, and different ways of being. I found this conversation deeply meaningful, and I hope it brings you both resonance and strength. 这一期，我们想聊一聊：在今天这个时代，成为一个女性，意味着什么。 我们没有试图给出一个统一的答案，而是邀请了不同的声音，一起去展开这个问题。 这也是我和播客创作者 Linsey 的一次合作，我们还邀请了几位在线上认识的女性朋友一起参与分享：Limehouse、Chill、29、Eleven、Sherely、Sippy 和 Winnie。 我们通过一系列问题，聊到了很多不同的面向：比如女性气质与女性主义之间的关系，关于女性与女性友谊的一些社会叙事，从小到大被塑造的“女性角色”，以及我们在现实中持续面对的种种挑战。 每个人的人生阶段和背景都不一样——有人已婚，有人未婚，有人还在探索，有人已经走过一段路。但在这些差异之中，我们依然能感受到某种很真实的连接：我们如何看待世界，如何提问，如何经历和理解自己。 这期内容不是为了给女性主义下定义，而是希望留出一个空间，让不同的经验与声音被看见、被听见。 对我来说，这是一次非常有意义的对话，也希望它能带给你一些共鸣，甚至一点点力量。 特别感谢我的朋友 Linsey 一起完成这期合作。如果你想听听其他有趣的英文播客，我真的很推荐你去听她的播客（小宇宙，喜马拉雅同步）「Storage Room」and 「Sh!*, my friend says!」 。

In this episode, Shasha shares how her multicultural background has shaped the way she sees the world and helped her appreciate our shared humanity. Having lived in many places and experienced different cultures, she has developed a deep sense of adaptability and a powerful capacity for self-healing. Healing is never easy, but she is walking that path with courage — she even created her own film along the way. Her love for books also shines through, especially towards the end of our conversation. I felt a sense of healing after talking with her, and I truly hope this conversation brings some warmth to you as well. 这一期，我和莎莎聊了她在多元文化环境中成长的经历，以及这些经历如何影响她看待世界、理解人性。 她去过很多地方，也经历了丰富的人生阶段，这些都让她慢慢发展出一种很珍贵的能力——适应力，以及自我疗愈的力量。 疗愈从来都不是一件轻松的事，但她一直在自己的节奏中前行，甚至还完成了属于自己的电影作品。 在对话的后半段，她对阅读的热爱也特别打动我。 这是一段轻松却很有温度的聊天，我在对话中感受到一种被疗愈的感觉，也希望它能带给你一点点温暖。

人，其实不应该把自己当作自然的主人， 而更像是自然中的一个谦卑的观察者。 我们不是来掌控这片土地的， 而是作为自然的一部分去生活、去感受， 去珍惜和守护我们所处的环境。 在这一期节目中， 我们将继续探讨中国传统哲学， 以及这些古老的思想，如何在今天影响着现代社会， 特别是年轻一代的思考方式和生活态度。 Human beings were never meant to be the owners of nature, but humble observers within it. We are not here to control the land, but to live as part of it— to respect it, to care for it, and to protect the environment that sustains us. In today’s episode, we continue our exploration of traditional Chinese philosophy, and reflect on how these ancient ideas still shape modern society— especially the way young people think, live, and relate to the world around them.

In this episode, 霞客 shares a dream she’s carried with her since childhood—to live close to the mountains and help people reconnect with nature. We talk about her journey as a cultural ambassador in Australia, where she not only brought Chinese wisdom abroad, but also discovered more about herself and what truly drives her. Eventually, she returned to China to build something of her own—a farm and a school dedicated to traditional Chinese learning. I feel so grateful to call her a friend, and to know that I now have a place to visit when I go back to China. 在这一期节目中，霞客分享了她从小就有的一个梦想——与山为伴，也帮助更多人重新回到自然之中。 我们聊到了她在澳大利亚担任文化使者的经历。在那里，她不仅把中国的智慧带向海外，也更深入地认识了自己，找到了真正热爱的方向。 后来，她回到中国，建立了属于自己的农场和一所致力于传统文化学习的学校。 我真的很开心她是我的朋友，也很期待下次回国时，有一个可以去拜访的地方。

有时候，让人消耗的，不是别人说了什么， 而是你待在了一个不对的环境里。 这一期，我想分享一个很小的经历， 但它让我重新意识到一件事： 我们真正需要学会的，是选择自己所处的能量场。 Sometimes, it’s not about what people say— it’s about how they make you feel. In this episode, I share a small experience that reminded me how important it is to protect your energy and choose your environment wisely.