There is no way that thirteen-year-old wallflower me could conceive of a day when I would dance-voluntarily-in the halftime show of the Chinese University Basketball Association championship that was broadcast to millions of people. But I did.
My memoir Unbound Feet: Finding Freedom in Communist China chronicles this miraculous transformation. Teaching at an international university in Henan Province comes with perks, and drawbacks. The college was a major draw for foreigners from around the world expanding my worldview with each new cultural interaction. One of my favorite things was that no one there knew me from the U.S., so I was able to work out being the person I wanted to be without any preconceived notions.
I took the time to re-examine all aspects of my life: relationships, faith, and expectations. The journey wasn't always smooth and sometimes I felt as if I was moving backward, but I was better and stronger for the experience. When I left China in 2011, I was ready to restart my life in the United States. However, I wasn't ready to give up the lessons I'd learned or the freedom I'd attained while living there.
While I haven't danced as much, since returning stateside, every now and then the spirit moves me and this former wallflower can bust a move.
