A Stolen Year in Yorkshire

By Feijiao Cheng

At 32, I found myself single, with no family commitments, but a bit of savings in the bank. I decided to take a break from my ten-year teaching career and move from Beijing, China, to York, UK, to pursue a master's degree. Interestingly, England was never my first choice. In fact, the UK wasn't even on my list when I first considered studying abroad.

I still remember that chilly winter morning in February 2022 as I stepped out of my gym in Beijing. My phone lit up with a notification for an offer letter from the University of Sydney. At first, I was thrilled-over the moon I'd dreamed of living in Sydney since my first trip to Australia in 2015. The harbour, the Opera House, the sunshine-I loved it all. I told everybody that I'd go back one day. But then, ten minutes after that initial excitement, panic set in. I thought to myself, "Is that it? Am I actually going to Sydney?" I love Sydney, but... I wasn't sure. Something didn't feel right.

I started talking it over with a few friends, and one thing led to another. Suddenly, I was packing my bags and moving 10,000 miles to the UK. The funny thing is, I didn't even know a single person in the UK. Sure, I had been there as a tourist for ten days in 2019, but that was the extent of my knowledge of life in the UK. Aside from its infamous weather, I didn't know much. Yet, something about the UK still drew me in-the accents, the history, the diversity, and the allure of the unfamiliar.

Starting over in my 30s on the other side of the world required preparation, but even more than that, it took so much courage to step out of my comfort zone and into the unknown. The only thing I was certain about was that if nothing changed, nothing would change. I promised myself to stay open-minded, humble, and ready for whatever challenges came my way. Looking back, I am deeply grateful for my year living in York, where I embraced pubs, small talk, horrendous rain and endless problems. It was a year of uncertainty, growth, and transformation. It was truly a stolen year, but in the best way possible.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F3VC1XPS
• ISBN13: 9798311170369
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 110 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"