L.O.C.A.L. Adventures
My journey FROM TEACHING ENGLISH IN THAILAND TO STARTING a NONPROFIT
Upon graduating from the University of Miami, I hadn't the faintest idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had earned a double major in film and English, spending summers interning at production studios—exciting, but not entirely fulfilling. Raised in Hong Kong, I was bred to travel, adventure, explore, and try new things. But over the years I had found myself in a rut—caught up in Miami’s fast-paced lifestyle, prioritizing partying over health, instant gratification over gratitude, chasing highs and then crashing lows. I was mentally unwell. Over graduation weekend, my family witnessed this firsthand. A few weeks later, my dad, a man of few words, sat me down for a chat.
“Are you happy?” he asked point-blank.
The question caught me off-guard.
Embarrassed, ashamed, and annoyed, I quipped back, “Of course I’m happy, Dad. What do you mean?”
He continued, “Your mother and I are worried about you after graduation. You don’t seem happy. Are you sure Thailand is the right choice for you?”
While my friends had lined up jobs in Miami, LA, and New York, I had tentatively decided to teach English in Thailand—mainly because my friend Liza had proposed the idea, and I had no better plan for what to do with my newfound freedom.
“So what are you saying, Dad? I should go to therapy or something?”
“Well, what about just starting at Barnes & Noble and checking out the self-help section?”
It felt like a moment straight out of a movie—and in many ways, it was, because that conversation stayed with me in a deep and meaningful way. (When I brought it up to my dad recently, he didn’t even remember it, which made me laugh.)
I did exactly what he said. Later that week, I curled up in the self-help section of Barnes & Noble for hours. As a little girl, I had always loved to read. Some of my earliest memories are of stacks of books piled up by the front door to return to the library after reading each one five times. I always had a deep inner world. But in my teenage years, I had built an armor, determined to be “chill,” to fit in, to let things roll off my shoulders. I wanted to be liked, easygoing, and to not be so sensitive all the time.
That day, I picked out a range of books, but one stood out: Dreaming the Soul Back Home by Robert Moss. I had always been a dreamer, but lately, my dreams had taken a sinister turn—apocalyptic scenarios, the ground opening up, demons swallowing my friends, conveyor belts leading my family to some ominous chopping block. It was dark.
Later that year, with my new books in hand, I embarked on an adventure, determined to give Thailand my best effort, even though I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why. On the last leg of the flight with Liza, a wave of nerves hit me. Am I really going to Thailand to be a teacher? Do I even want to teach? Do I even know how?
But it didn’t take long for me to realize I had landed exactly where I was meant to be. Thailand was everything I needed and more. Liza and I committed to sobriety for the first six months. My system needed a detox. We visited temples, learned Thai, and hardly participated in the typical expat activities like Full Moon parties or weekend trips to the Philippines. Instead, we immersed ourselves in our tiny town of Phrapradaeng. We shopped at the local market, conversed in Thai, took the ferry back and forth across the Chao Praya River just for fun, and motor-taxied into Bangkok for the occasional Western comfort.
In the meantime, I was discovering I had a natural knack for teaching. I was good at it, and my students filled my cup. Every morning, they greeted me with enthusiastic shouts of, “TEACHA TEACHA!!!” Their smiles warmed me from the inside, and I began to look forward to arriving at school every day.
During this time, I also rediscovered my creativity. I read every day, including my new favorite book, Dreaming the Soul Back Home, which helped me reclaim parts of myself I had lost—my imagination, my inner knowing, my desire to give back and live for a bigger purpose. I journaled daily, often bringing my hammock to the park after school to write or nap for hours. I practiced yoga, studied Buddhism, and visited temples. I felt a calling for something bigger. I also started using my camera everywhere I went, tapping into a flow state I had never previously accessed. Little did I know, these practices would become the foundation for something far greater. I was unknowingly creating my own framework for well-being; my own inner toolkit.
Flash forward—a montage scene. I lived in Thailand for two years, traveled the world with friends and alone, fell in and out of love, treated myself to my first yoga retreat, and moved back to the States. As soon as I landed back in the U.S. in 2016, I experienced my first serious bout of anxiety and insomnia. It was as if I had been avoiding a bigger question for two years—What now? Who am I? Where do I want to live? What do I really want to do? The whole world was my oyster, and I felt immense pressure to do something important. But this time, I had the tools to navigate it.
Desperate to feel better, I sat down and made a list of the activities that I knew helped my anxiety. It was simple but life-changing:
Movement
Some form of creativity
Sunshine
Stillness
I vowed to do at least one, if not all, of these activities every single day, no matter what. These became my non-negotiables. These practices have blossomed into the framework I stick by every day to live the most present, joyful life I possibly can.
Flash forward again—I bought a car, moved to Denver, dove into a yoga teacher training, and began a fresh new life for myself. In Denver, I continued to build upon the tools that I had found in Thailand: movement and mindfulness through yoga, creativity through a new photography business I was in the midst of creating, and exploration through a new backcountry retreat venture. Plus, I was substitute teaching in charter schools, gaining essential knowledge of the gaps in our education system.
In 2018, I took a kids yoga training and everything clicked.
In 2019, I had a vision of creating a nonprofit. I had no idea what it would look like or how I would do it, but it was a clear vision.
In 2020, I moved unexpectedly back to Richmond to be with the love of my life and start a new life here amidst a global pandemic.
In 2021, I officially shifted my business license over to Virginia and started L.O.C.A.L. Adventures in a burst of inspiration while sitting at my countertop in my tiny studio apartment in Manchester. This project was the culmination of my life’s work; a framework for teaching kids stress-management tools, self-regulation, and emotional resilience, just as I had learned to do years earlier.
Over the past four years I have been working steadily to grow L.O.C.A.L. into what it is today: a thriving organization, serving hundreds of students and growing faster than I ever imagined.
Today, L.O.C.A.L. Adventures is a fully functioning, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In 2024 alone, we worked with over 250 students, secured $42,000+ in grants, and expanded our team. And the impact is real:
100% of students reported learning something new.
93% said they liked coming to our program.
100% reported having fun.
92% said attending helped them feel good about themselves.
I built L.O.C.A.L. from my own journey—teaching in Thailand, working in schools, leading mindfulness retreats, and discovering how movement, art, and the outdoors create powerful pathways to healing and joy. Our programs give kids the tools to navigate life’s challenges, regulate emotions, and discover their own inner strength.
This is my purpose. My calling. My life’s work.
And now, I need your help to keep it growing. If you believe in the power of mindfulness, movement, and the outdoors to transform young lives, here’s how you can support:
Donate: Every dollar fuels our programs and brings these experiences to more students.
Share: Spread the word—forward this blog, share on social media, and connect us with potential partners.
Support: Check out our Amazon list for supplies that directly support our kids.
Funding: Keep us in mind for grants, sponsorships, and funding opportunities.
L.O.C.A.L. Adventures is my heart and soul. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for believing in this work and helping make the world a better place—one breath, one stretch and one adventure at a time.