It’s still quiet here. Just the ticking of the clock, the hum of the refrigerator, and the rustle of my dogs’ paws as they shift in their sleep. I mowed the lawn this morning. It’s the kind of simple ritual that makes a house feel like a home — or reminds you it’s soon going to stop being yours. There are 24 days until I leave for China. Not just for a visit, but for a year — maybe more. A new life chapter. A new country. A new child on the way.

That’s why I’ve created this blog. Echo From the West is more than a record of travels. It’s the voice of a man in motion: an American, a father, a son of immigrants, a husband, a believer — charting his way forward with faith, and not without fear. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I’ve learned that sometimes, life’s most important steps come not from having it all figured out, but from being willing to move forward anyway.