Beijing Surprise with a 5 year old

After our recent 10 day trip between three countries with my four-and-a-half year old, I really admire Jeanne Darst for her courage or madness to bring her five-year-old Hudson to Beijing to study Chinese simply because he wanted to learn the language and possibly drawn to the allure of the ancient culture.

With so many friends who have travelled to China, be it Shanghai or Beijing to learn the language, I feel fortunate to be able to speak and read the language and appreciate its beauty. I should only work harder to inspire my own daughter to learn the language and speak it with pride.

Jeanne's interpretation of Hudson's desire to master a very difficult language, is impressive. How remarkable her journey takes her as she recounts their two attempts to the Great Wall of China. Sometimes seizing the moment and going with the flow of instinct and adventure is just so thrilling, we feel alive. Really enjoyed this lively article. Thank you Vogue (May 2013)!