He didn’t think connection was possible, until he felt it.

Wuya has lived many lives already. His path has taken him through many worlds, studying Spanish in Puerto Rico, picking fruit and working construction in New Zealand, herding sheep and woodworking in Mexico, farming in Japan, mentoring youth in Taiwan. In California, he worked as a Cantonese and Mandarin interpreter in Monterey Bay, while also doing elder care and food delivery, supporting others as he searched for something more aligned, and for a sense of home.

When he arrived at Esalen, he was “in transition… looking for something more meaningful.” He didn’t expect much. “I thought it was just a tiny stepping stone,” he said. “I didn’t think I would have American friends. But it turned out to be the most amazing period of my life.”

One night, dancing with others for the first time, something shifted. He felt free in his body, open in a new way. He began to meet parts of himself he had long kept at a distance, and found they did not need to be pushed away. He let people in.

Now back in China, caring for his grandmother in her final chapter, Wuya carries that openness forward with a different sense of what’s possible.