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Welcome to Paper Crane Stories – thanks for stopping by! I’m a Brit living in California, married to an American and always planning our next adventure. I’m a serial expat (I’ve lived in 5 countries) who loves to travel, eat, create and write. Read more on my about page.


Check Out Our Latest Blog Posts!

3 Days To Fall In Love With Bangkok

I’d heard plenty of opinions about Bangkok before we visited. “There’s nothing to do”,”It’s full of…

Summer in Beijing: The Strange Sounds and the Hot Hot Heat

Cicadas are the soundtrack to my summers in Asia. In Korea the local kids would…

I’d Stay Here Forever If…

On Friday afternoon the sky got dark as night and it began to pour with…

One Year Ago

I meant to post this on Saturday and then I completely forgot! Seeing as I…

Friday Night Beers In The Hutong

It’s no secret that my favourite parts of Beijing are the hutong areas. The hutong…

Unusual Places: Airplane Beach in Sint Maarten

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to visit the Caribbean with Justin and some of…

What’s Beijing Like? Everything You Wanted To Know About Moving To Or Visiting Beijing

Since Justin and I moved to Beijing last August, I have (understandably) had many questions…

In Search Of The Beach: Angthong National Marine Park

I was about 15 when the film The Beach was released in cinemas. I can’t…

Where to see Cherry Blossom in Beijing

Last weekend we visited Yuyuantan Park specifically to see the cherry blossom. While China doesn’t have…

What Exactly Is An “I Love Beijing!” Day?

An “I Love Beijing!” day (also commonly known as an “I {Heart }Beijing” day and written as “I…

Walking it out: Connecting with my Beijing Home

Catch me on any day other than an airpocalypse day and I’ll tell you I…

Finding Great Korean Food in Beijing

Just the other week I declared I had eaten the best meal of my stay…