Beer. China. A year abroad.
In late April of 2005, I was presented an opportunity to live a year abroad in China. At 23 years old and over a weekend of drinking beer, I decided to take the plunge and move to China for a year. I started doing massive research on China – the food, culture, people, and most importantly, safety. I went through the whole process of getting a passport by giving myself a one-day crash course and then rush ordered my passport. I left the country on May 9, 2005 for my year abroad and I stayed for 13 years. I moved back home in July of 2018.
My name is Logan Wenger, the guy who decided to see what the world was about at the ripe age of 23. I had no idea what I was doing or getting myself into. I only knew I wanted to get out of my tiny little town. I wanted to see a bit more of our world.
Married To Shanghai is a coming of age story. It’s a passion filled story that reveals the shenanigans of being a young man, a boy, really, living abroad and learning about the world and myself. To becoming a man, husband, and father.
More importantly, the blog delves deeper into one’s personal journey of self-discovery and beyond the boundaries of Shanghai or any country. This website contains my story and experiences, but it is much more than a story. On the blog you will find tips on life, travel, language, people, culture, and transitioning to a foreign country and back home again. I feel confident my story and experiences will help you along your path of life, no matter how young or old you are today.
The name Married to Shanghai has a dual meaning. I originally came up with the name after being married for several years. When one marries a woman from Shanghai, he not only marries her, but also her family, extended family, family she barely knows, the food, the school she went to in second grade, the street vendors, and the city itself.
The second meaning is regarding the length of time I lived in China and Shanghai. I didn’t live in Shanghai for 13 years. I was more like 12 years. This length of time is long enough to get to know a city very intimately just like a marriage between humans. It’s also enough time to grow bitter and move separate ways just like in a marriage.
I invite you to read the first three chapters for free available for download as a PDF, an Amazon Mobi (Kindle) format, or an ePub (electronic publication) download.
Be safe out there!
Logan Wenger