My going to China to study the language after college was initially meant to be a one-year adventure. I expected that learning a language with tones and characters and experiencing a culture vastly different from small town Illinois where I grew up would be challenging.
What I did not expect was how exhilarating it would be to feel completely out of my element while being forced to find a way to communicate. I found myself looking forward to not knowing what to expect. By the end of my second year in China, the language, the culture and the people exposed a passion I did not know I had.
One year turned into six. Now, fifteen years later I am taking my first steps as a freelance interpreter and translator. It is a privilege to do what I love. I look forward to what the next fifteen years hold!