About me

Hey, thanks for checking out my blog! Here’s just a little about me.

My name is Ally and I’m originally from Raleigh, NC. After I graduated from college I moved to Shanghai (where I started this blog) to pursue my love for Mandarin and desire to see the world. That was three years ago – and I haven’t stopped traveling since. Pursuing an international career and living far from your loved ones isn’t always easy but when you have a dream you’re passionate about, you have to follow it. After all, if your dreams don’t scare you, then they probably aren’t big enough.

This blog exists as a means to share some of my personal experiences and thoughts while living abroad! I hope you enjoy and stay awhile.

So, why “My life above the sea”?

Shang (上) can be translated as ‘above; before; on top of’ and Hai (海) can be translated as ‘ocean; lake; large body of water’. So, Shanghai (上海) closely means “above the sea”. I’ve since left Shanghai but the phrase has stuck with me, as I find myself flying somewhere through the skies more and more often these days.