A Dream 1.5 Years in the Making ✨- Edition 7 // 5.3.25

Dear curious explorer of the world,

Before I landed in Dali, China… before we gathered under moonlight, brewed tea with river water, and released lanterns into the water…there was a dream.
A dream seeded over 1.5 years ago.

I didn’t know exactly what it would look like — but I knew the feeling I wanted to create: rooted, alive, reflective, wildly human. A return to self through culture, nature, and collective transformation.

What followed wasn’t a straight path. It was a year of becoming.

🌱 A Year of Becoming

This journey tested and expanded me in every possible direction.

In the first few months, we were full of energy, possibility, and big visions. But as reality met the dream, we had to pivot — again and again. Logistics fell through. Team members shifted. At one point, we rebuilt the entire retreat framework from scratch.

There were moments of deep clarity… and moments of deep doubt.
But the truth is — this dream never left me. Even when I was tired. Even when I didn’t know how it would all come together. I held the thread.

Then, just weeks before departure, the universe decided to ask me one final question:

Are you sure this is what you want?

My lead facilitator backed out.
The original hotel cancelled our booking.
And — just on the day of my flight — I discovered my passport and green card were missing.

It was a Friday evening. Every office that could help me was closed for the weekend.

I had two choices: panic or prepare.

So I rested. I cleaned my home. I gathered my strength. And by Monday morning, I was the fifth person in line at the Chinese Embassy. I told the universe — and the officials — that I am going home. That I had a retreat to lead. That this was happening.

Within hours, I had my emergency travel document in hand — even though most people wait months.
By Tuesday morning, I was in another line — this time at the Immigration Office. And again, against all odds, I walked out with my green card replacement.

I rebooked my flight for free. Got a whole row to myself.

On April 11 at 3:07 pm, after 48 hours on the road, I boarded my final flight to Dali.

I sat there, teary-eyed and quiet, knowing:
We made it.
Because I never stopped dreaming. Because I took one aligned step at a time.
Because I refused to believe in impossibility.

✨ 3 Truths This Journey Reinforced

1. Know Who to Ask
I couldn’t do this alone — and I didn’t. From the friends who helped me navigate embassy chaos to the miracle humans who stepped in when original facilitators dropped out, every solution came through the community. Not everyone had the answer, but someone always knew someone who did.

2. Keep Standing in Your Commitment
There were nights I slept just a few hours. Days when doubt crept in. But I kept holding the vision: I will be in China on April 11. Not if, but how. When you decide that your dream is non-negotiable, the path reveals itself.

3. Dance With It All
So much didn’t go as planned. But instead of resisting, I flowed. I moved with the chaos instead of against it. I learned that power doesn’t always come from force — it often comes from grace.

📩 Stay Tuned...

In the next newsletter, I’ll be sharing the magic of the retreat itself: the ceremonies, the breakthroughs, the cultural immersion, and the tears and laughter we shared under the full moon.

For now, take this as your sign:

With all my heart,
Shanshan

Founder, Homecoming Co.
A space for grounded harmony and uninhibited self-expression