My LiA project has changed three times now due to my over-ambitious goals. I first set out to write a comparative paper on animal shelters in Suzhou, China, and New York State, partnering with the Shelter Outreach Service (SOS) and Cornell shelter vets. A few days before the LiA proposal deadline, the SOS manager informed me that the position had been filled by vet students. She gently suggested that, under the circumstances, I might not gain as much from the experience as I'd hoped. Still, she recognized my dedication to animal welfare and connected me with Dr. Allison Lindsay of Cornell Shelter Vet, who became my new mentor. Together, we shaped a second project: exploring how to effectively encourage respect for small animals across diverse Chinese provinces—by immersing myself in local culture and living alongside residents.

      Ambitious? Yes. Unrealistic? Probably. But at the time, I was electrified by the novelty of it—no one has ever done it before.

      Then came Tianjin and Beijing, the first two cities on my journey. Reality hit quickly. I tried to blend in with local elders—spending mornings in parks joing their Tai Chi, guitar, dancing practices, and wandering in farmers’ markets. These experiences did help me challenge and refine some stereotypes I held about Beijing natives, but they weren't enough. As the capital, Beijing draws young people from all over China, and most of whom are here to earn a better futures. As a traveler passing through, I can hardly build connections with them.

      For days afterward, I felt oddly at peace—not the peaceful kind that comes from clarity, but the numbness that follows total collapse. With every plan I'd made failed, the enthusiasm, anxiety, and ambition that once consumed me simply dissolved. Then, while idly scrolling social media, a recruitment ad flashed across my screen. The words "高动物福利 (high animal welfare)" caught my attention. On impulse, I contacted the clinic and sent my resume. The next morning, I interviewed. By afternoon, I was a vet tech intern in Ada’s Animal Hospital.

      This must be it, I thought. My final LiA. I didn't dare set goals or dream big. I just wanted to watch, listen, and absorb—how they practiced high welfare, how they paired it with high-quality medicine.