I was born in 2002, and I was left on a walking bridge in Wuhan, China. China had the one child policy. Typically, if parents had the decision between a son or a daughter, they would choose to keep the boy over the girl. The boy was able to carry on the family name. A lot of baby girls were abandoned throughout China during this. The policy was so strict that pregnant women would be forced to have an abortion against their will. I visited my orphanage a few years ago. A police officer found me in a purse with a red piece of paper indicating my birthday. I could have easily died as a newborn baby without even realizing it. Women would give birth somewhere not in a hospital to avoid having any written records, and this way they wouldn't get caught abandoning a baby. Because of this, there's no way for me to know who my birth parents are. It would be very difficult to trace myself back to a couple in China. I've thought about how crazy it is that I don't know if I have any siblings or what birth family members might still be alive today. I was a young girl when my parents told me that I was adopted. Initially, I felt very sad and unwanted. The people that brought me into this world decided that they did not want to take care of me. As I thought about it more, I grew to understand that it was a difficult situation for them to be in. It still bothers me how men are always preferred over girls. I do sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I was able to still live in China. I was adopted when I was about 18 months old. I grew up in America with all my classmates asking me if I knew how to speak Chinese. I thought maybe I would fit in if I did, so I made-up gibberish. Since we were such young kids, my peers believed me. When I went to high school, people wouldn’t know me and would say insensitive things straight to my face about the fact that I was different from them. This happened a lot, even when I was younger. People my age would treat me differently. My adoptive mom had a miscarriage, and that's why my parents adopted me. I was adopted when my adoptive parents were in their 40s, so there were always older than the parents of my peers. Right now, I'm 20, and my dad is near 70. My friends growing up would first see them and think that they were my grandparents. I believe that this was the reason why my parents were not very active for much of my life, and I wasn't able to engage with them that much. Both of my adoptive parents are Caucasian and don't know much about Chinese culture. I never learned Chinese or experienced Chinese culture. Most of the time when people first meet me, they try to guess what country I am from. People have a difficult time pronouncing and spelling my name because it's Chinese. It has always annoyed me how I would get invitations to events, and my name would typically be spelled phonetically. Much of the time even after I introduced myself, people would still be unable to pronounce my name. When I was younger, I was more reluctant to introduce myself to people because I did not like how my name was difficult for people to address me.

Food is what fuels us. There is something intimate about preparing food for yourself or someone else. One of my chef instructors at The Culinary Institute of America said that he is similar to a doctor in the sense that he prescribes healthy foods to make people feel good. The vitamins and minerals that people swallow in pill form can come from better sources—food. Factors like these help give people energy and longevity. Nutritious food is what helps us keep our bodies and minds moving. When someone has a good relationship with food, they are able to be happier. They are happier because they are getting what they need to do everyday tasks. I notice that when I am living at home, I feel so much better than when I am living at school. I have a whole kitchen easily at my disposal when I am home, and I have so many ingredients to choose from. I have so many seasonings, herbs, and spices in the cupboards and on shelves. The refrigerator is full of fresh produce, dairy products, and so much more. I have an oven, stovetop, and a variety of tools stored in the kitchen at home. There are no rules, and I have more time and freedom. When I am in New York studying in college, I have a completely different lifestyle. I stay up late either spending time with friends or doing homework, so I wake up later. I have a class in the morning though. I sleep for as long as I can, and I eat a small muffin or drink tea in the morning if time permits. I have to wait until I get out of my classes to eat lunch. I have 20 meal points each day of class, so that is only enough for two meals each day. I do not want to spend too much extra on groceries, so I buy cheap instant noodles and cans of soup. Maybe I will buy cereal sometimes or snacks from the dollar store. I treat myself to lunch or dinner off campus sometimes, and I feel so good and full afterward. I notice the difference in the way that I feel happier and satiated. The meals that are served at school are not always enjoyable for me, so I do not tend to feel full after eating them. I sometimes find myself experiencing headaches or stomach discomfort if I have not eaten for a longer period of time on a long day at school. These symptoms go away after a eat food. Sometimes I get negative symptoms after eating food. Foodborne illnesses are very common and must be avoided. The best scenario is when I eat often enough, and I eat foods that make me feel healthy and happy. Food is very powerful in this way. It can boost our moods and give us the strength to function. I think a good example is how the word "tiramisu" means "pick-me-up" in Italian. The caffeine will give you some energy, and the sweet treat will leave you content. I feel proud of myself when I eat healthily, but giving myself a small reward like dessert feels good sometimes. I know the foods I eat in college are not always that good for me. I feel better when I eat more fruits, healthy fats, vegetables, and proteins at home.