My name is Stacielynn, and I'm from a quiet town in the state of Connecticut in the United States. I love sports and getting lost in great books. I consider myself a social adventurer at heart who loves to take on new adventures, and more importantly, I'm passionate about hearing people's stories and learning their lifestyles.
As I headed for the airport, I felt an exciting anticipation for a different experience, for a place where the pulse of life feels like a vibration in the air.
That vibration greeted me in Wuxi, China, as I stepped off the high-speed train. The soft, humid air and the symphony of urban sounds were a stark contrast to the crisp, quiet winter I had left behind.
My first real connection to Wuxi came at Taihu Lake, in the sprawling, poetic landscape of Yuantouzhu Scenic Area. As I walked the willow-lined paths, a flash of white caught my eye. Soon, the air was alive with the graceful, swooping dance of black-headed gulls.
A beautiful Chinese girl explained to me that these birds are protected, wintering guests of the city that came from another country! Their cheerful cries were a far cry from the solitary call of a blue jay in my backyard. To see a city not just coexist with, but cherish, such wildlife beauty was heart-touching!
A row of black-headed gulls that have migrated from Siberia to spend the winter in Yuantouzhu Scenic Area. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
That heart, I discovered, is best reached by boat. I boarded a double-decker boat that chugged into a vast lake called Taihu Lake. The city's skyline softened into a watercolor haze on the horizon. It was a profound peace, different from the silent woods of home.
But I felt the charm of Wuxi was very personal. It is in the steam rising from a bamboo basket, revealing plump steamed filled buns with meat, their delicate texture holding a burst of savory broth. I clumsily ate my first one with chopsticks. Then came the surprising, salty tofu soup, or doufunao in Chinese.
Navigating the clean, efficient subway in the city, I felt a sense of effortless belonging, a tiny part of the city's daily flow. Then came the moment that crystallized the entire journey.
In a sun-dappled square, a giggling group of middle-school children approached. With brave smiles, one girl asked, "Hello! Can we take a photo? You are so beautiful!" Their request was so genuine, so full of open curiosity, that I laughed with delight. We took several pictures, their excitement infectious. It was a spontaneous, human connection — unassuming and kind! The guarded personal space of home was replaced by a joyful, communal embrace. It was profoundly different than back home!
That same friendly spirit echoed in the markets, where I shopped for many gifts — I found Wuxi soccer team postcards that had the icon of sweet peaches, ink-stamped books, and beautiful keychains — to carry a piece of this warmth back to my hometown. Every transaction was an interaction, an earnest attempt to bridge the gap between my clumsy phrases and their helpful hands.
Team mascots of the Jiangsu Football City League, or Suchao. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
Now, as I prepare to return to the serene, steady lanes of Connecticut, my suitcase is heavier with souvenirs, but my mind is overflowing with richer cargo. I am bringing back more than stories and photos. I am bringing back the memory of a hospitality so upbeat and sincere it reshaped my understanding of welcome.
I'll look at our quiet woods with renewed love, but I will also see, superimposed upon them, the loving, smiling faces of a winter day in Wuxi — a beautiful reminder that across the ocean, kindness is a universal language, spoken with remarkable fluency.
Stacielynn Raquel Beguhn-Stack is a college student from the United States who came to Wuxi for a visit in December.
If you would like to share your Wuxi stories, then send us your writings at wuxiexpatstories@outlook.com.
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