Francesca Luo

Transformation – Being True to Myself

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:52:29 -0800

I used to believe happiness was something I could wear. A dress, a shade of lipstick, the perfect look in the mirror. I thought beauty was armor, and the opinions of others were the measure of my worth. Every word, every glance—I carried them inside me, heavy as stones.

But then the road called me.

It led me into mud that swallowed my shoes, into rain that drenched me until I could no longer pretend to be polished. It pushed me down mountain slopes where I slid, laughing, ungraceful, free. It wrapped me in nights of complete darkness, where the only light was the quiet fire inside my chest.

And in those moments, I understood: happiness is not painted on your face, not stitched into your clothes, not handed to you by strangers. Happiness is simple. It is the breath you take when the storm passes. It is the smile that rises when you are soaked, messy, and alive.

I used to care so much about what others thought. I let their voices echo inside me, I took them personally, as if they defined me. But then I realized—they are no one. Not even strangers worth holding onto. Their opinions are not relevant. What matters is me, and the people I truly care about—the ones whose love and presence shape my life.

To live without burden does not mean ignoring every voice around us. It means having the strength to listen with clarity—to identify what matters, to dig deeper into meaning, to reflect, to improve, and to trust with respect. This is the foundation of being human. I do not believe in luck. I believe in trying. In progress. In choosing not to compete with others, but to walk my own path. I believe in listening to my inner voice, in trusting my intuition, in moving forward with honesty.

Transformation is not about becoming someone new.

It is about peeling away the layers...Read More

Chapter one - Thailand

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 07:10:50 -0700

I pointed to a place randomly on the world map – Chiangmai. By thenI even didn’t know where is it (since I’ve never travelled solo especially travel to a foreign land). I booked the flight immediately and right after applied for a one month Visa. I didn’t want to tell my mom from the beginning because I know she might not allow me to go. I started to pack my bags late in the night without getting her attention. Three days before departure I told her about my decision. Of course she was very surprised but I insist on going for this trip. For the first time travelling solo, I packed so many things that I thought it’s needed. And I booked a villa on Airbnb for a month, is really the dream of my house – own garden with nice terrace, the whole villa in glass, swimming pool, away from the center. “I definitely can stay for a month and maybe is not enough, but is a very good start for my solo-travelling trip.”

Touched down in Chiangmai airport, exotic smells all over me, no one knows me and I don’t
know any of them. We are all the passengers and our path might not cross ever.

Isn’t it what I want?

I have this whole month to figure out. No plans, not exact destination, no hurry, just enjoy and relax. I do believe my travel path is already well arranged and I just need to wait for it to happen in the exact moment. The villa is located near Nimmana road, very quiet but meanwhile easy for me to move around. Right after I landed and arrived in the center, I found a random place to enjoy my first Pad Thai in Thailand, it taste like heaven, and everyone is just so nice to me. The manager of the villa came to pick me up, welcome with a big smile on the face. Introduce every single thing that I might need. Everything seems so familiar to me even though everything just fresh to me.

I woke up naturally the other day, normally I don’t need...Read More

Million feelings, zero words

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 06:50:57 -0700

Million feelings, but zero words.

The most powerful words remain unspoken, you are afraid to ask because you don’t want to hear the answer that might make you feel down.

It doesn’t mean you don’t understand, you know it better already than anyone else, the fact is “if you don’t ask, there won’t be a clear respond.”

“How do you see yourself in five or ten years?”, I can’t even see myself tomorrow, things keep changing so fast, in a good and bad way.

The worst might happen if you don’t look inside and trust your intuitions.

How would you stay with someone either with friends, family or your other half without going through some complete silence moments?

Life is short but meanwhile there is still probably a long way to go.

We can’t keep things always stay the same,it would be bored isn’t it?

It’s absolutely true “I’ve got a hundred million reasons to walk away, but I just need one good one to stay.”

You are exhausted and burn out like hell,at this special given moment, you won’t need much, just a good accompany in silence.

I don’t believe in destiny, meanwhile I do believe things happen for a damn good reason.

Take a deep breath, in and out.

Wind on your face, sun on your skin,combination of hot and cold, under the spring breeze.

Water flows, there’s no cloud at this moment, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

The sound between human and black swan, in between there’s the sound of my breath, they rhythm from my playlist “Oh it’s a mystery to me, we have a greed, with which we have agreed, and you think you have to want more than you need, until you have it...Read More

One girl, one backpack, one journey, a true story inspired by “Eat, Pray, Love” - Introduction part 2

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:54:26 -0800

Only if there’s rainy days so then you will appreciate the sunny days;

Only if there’s colder days so then you will appreciate the warm season;

Only if there’s sickness so then you will appreciate the health;

Only if there’s darkness so then you will appreciate the light;

It doesn’t require much to be happy, human mind makes it more difficult, and the desire is endlessness – you want to be better and better which there’s nothing wrong with it, means you have certain goal in your life and you are working towards it. But don’t forget, life keeps changing like the universe, nothing is certain and nothing is fixed. Uncertain makes life complete and excited. It’s a test for the human being.

Everyone you met and things happened either good or bad are for a reason, and then is you to decide how to face it. It won’t go back in times, but you can decide the next move and your future, no one else can, everyone needs to walk alone, if they join you just for certain time, you should be happy, and if someday they walk away, don’t feel sad because it’s normal, is their decision, remember those beautiful moments you had together and smile at it. It’s not easy to do so, I know very well, I hate this feeling of saying goodbye, after very first solo trip in Chiangmai,I had to say goodbye to those friends I met along the journey, I became so emotional and started crying. Nothing wrong with it, sooner or later you will get used to it, it makes you a human, it means you care. Life is a process of practicing, in everything.

I often wonder, what will be the life after death? There’s the question nobody can answer, by all means, not every question has an answer, isn’t it? Often times when you stop searching on purpose, answer...Read More

One girl, one backpack, one journey, a true story inspired by “Eat, Pray, Love” - Introduction

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 07:53:53 -0800

Introduction

If it’s not happening to you, we called it “stories”.

If those things are happening to you, we called it “life events”.

Most of the time in life, it’s always easier to give advice to someone instead of struggling the whole day for nothing, but what if these life events are happening to you?

You become frustrated, anxious, paranoid and sad, you can’t pull yourself up like once you’ve told others to be positive.

In this very moment, you can’t even listen a word from what others said.

You are drowned in the deepwater, not even lifeguard can save you but only you can decide if you want to be saved.

Your inner potential energy shows only when you are trapped in the most difficult and dangerous situations – it can be any kinds.

Your words say one thing, on the other hand, your actions go completely the opposite way.

Only when your heart truly 100% opens up to any advices, then you will write this “life events” in one of your chapter.

No one ever can force oneself tofollow others path, only if you wanted to.

“You are not following anyone inyour life, not even your Guru, but we can walk together hand in hand to overcome difficulties” – Anand Krishna

It’s absolutely alright to not follow the path of anyone else, even your parents.

Human are complicated, and we areall individuals in different forms.

By making mistakes, taking thewrong path or meeting someone who toxic your life, those are all life lessons that you need...Read More

Do you believe in "Time Travel"?

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 04:40:13 -0800

MOUNT KAILASH OUTER KORA - July, 2020

Three days total 55km, from altitude 4300m to 5600m

"If you walk around the outer kora once, you will clear all your sins in life"

“I just want to see Mount Kailash in a closer distance”

Do you believe in "Time Travel"? - I Do

When you travel solo, you realized you will never be actually alone

It's always good to believe in something rather than believe in nothing

You are lost at time, you are sad at times, you are depressed at times

I know it deep in my heart, - go somewhere that can cure my sickness

You feel too much, meanwhile you realized that you understand too little

Only when you walk this journey so then you can understand fully

Breathe taking view along the...Read More

One girl, one backpack, one journey

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 01:19:56 -0800

Is there a moment you want to break your daily routine?

Is there a moment you want to stay away from everyone you know?

Is there a moment you want to escape from your conform zone?

Is there a moment you start questioning yourself if the world you are living in is actually not real?

Is there a moment you just want to take a break from literally everything in your current life?

The answer for me is “YES”. Everything just appear at the exact moment, it was just perfect.

Back in 2015, this exact moment came in to my life, I couldn’t help but wonder,

What does the world look like out there, and I want to discover so badly.

I went to a book store in Guangzhou, and the book cover of Julia Roberts sitting on the bench and eating ice cream (back then I didn’t know it’s called Gelato) – and the book title is “Eat, Pray, Love”.

Maybe I was too young to understand this word “Pray” back then, but somehow by only reading the cover of this book, it attracts me.

Only when you are ready (not only saying that you are ready, but you need to be 100% ready from your action), your actual behavior tells you even when you don’t say it out loud....Read More

She stands like the sky with dreams in her eyes

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 07:56:16 -0800

Anohter New Year

Same place

Different stories

Different surroundings

To the new "me"

To the new "you"

Happiness is around us

Only if we open our eyes to see

Open our heart to feel

You never know who you are going to meet

in the next corner

Only if you explore in your own way

To observe

To feel

To embrace

What its meant to be, will find its way

No matter how hard you search

How you try to find it on purpose

The higher expectation you have

The more disappointment you might get

Don't come to Tibet, you will regret it

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 07:40:00 -0700

Don't come to Tibet

You will regret it

Don’t come to Tibet

The view along the way are so boring

and it’s not the most beautiful view

Don’t come to Tibet

The mountain in Tibet are not so special

and your hiking experience are not

the most unforgettable

Don’t come to Tibet

The locals are not friendly

They don’t talk to tourist

Don’t come to Tibet

There are only mountains without anything

You can’t see any greens here

Don’t come to Tibet

You can’t meet interesting people here

and you don’t have your own stories about Tibet

Don’t come to Tibet because you will regret it

Why you don’t stay in...Read More

Come to Tibet if you are feeling lost

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:18:40 -0700

To all those friends I met along the journey

You are the most beautiful reason why I travel

To those beautiful souls

To those different reasons for traveling

To those unforgettable memories that we share together

Being a solo traveler

You have no obligation

You can choose to follow others or not

In the end

You go with the flow

But with those who you choose to be your travel mates

From Guangzhou to Lhasa

Total 57 hours by train

Across Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Xi'an, Gansu, Qinghai

I met interesting people along the way

And because of this

I met this two person

Guo Peisen

Zhang Linshuai

I started a trip with them as well

So where should I start?

In the end, we end up in a bigger group

We rent two cars for 7 days

As you can imagine, there are lots of stories in this days