I grew up on an island called Taiwan

I lived in the city but the oceans and mountains weren′t too far

As a little girl, I often traveled the worldBecame bilingual and fell in love with the arts

Started dancing and writing songs

My family has always supported me

Sent me to a high school that prepared me to study abroad

That's where I first felt like I belonged

Where we all dreamed of where we could be

I carry my home within my heart

And the people who loved me from the start

No matter where I go I know

I′ll do what I love and be true to myself

So If my life was a map

I'd first draw my home

But after having lived in the states at 12

I knew I'd come back here someday

I won′t shy away from change

Maybe I′ll make a few mistakes on the way

But that's okay

I′ll always try to make the world a better place

When I moved to Illinois for college

I was homesick for a while but I wanted

To make the most out of the 4 years that I got

So I forced myself to get out of my comfort zone

Joined a multicultural sorority, SYZ

My friends and I started a dance crew, INC

And since freshman year

I actively posted on youtube every week

I'd vlog randomly, sing covers of songs

Or share songs I wrote about my life

Cause I′ve always been passionate about that

Spreading love and making a difference

Being a light in this world

So if my life was a map

I'd first draw my home

Then I would draw my time at UIUC

A place that shaped a huge part of me

Offline, I was active on campus

Online, I was active on social media

Tryna make the world a better place

One day, someday - let′s back up

But during those years

I did long distance with a boy

Who introduced me to Seattle

And I loved the city

So even after we ended

After I graduated

I still moved here hoping to stay

Wanting to find my place

That's when I found a job at a non-profit

It was perfect for me and I loved it

Serving the asian community here

One I could relate to

I'm so grateful for my mentor and my family and friends

Who were there for me at my worst

And cheered for me when I made it through

So now I tell my story ′bout how I found myself

Found so much strength in opening up

If my life was a map

I′d first draw my home

That's where I first fell in love

But then I fell hard when my heart broke

But that′s in the past

Thank God I was still at UIUC

Surrounded by people who cared for me

Then I moved to Seattle and finally

I feel I'm where I′m meant to be

I've grown so much within the past two years

Thanks to the people I′ve met along the way

Who knew I'd still be here today

I'm glad UW gave me the chance to stay

Here at CommLead I′m still learning

How I can be better at storytelling

If I had to draw where I was going

It could be anywhere as long as I′m doing something

To make world be a better place

Even if it's far away

No matter where I go

I′ll make that place my home

If my life was a map

I'd draw rainbows across the globe

From Taiwan to the States

Champaign to Seattle

I wanna fly around the world

From arts to advertising

Communication & storytelling

There′s so much I wanna do

For the world