Time Journey of a Chinese American Female Geographer: From China to the World

Wei Li has been a geographer for almost her entire adult life: including 13 years at school (four years in college, three years for a master’s degree, and six years as a Ph.D. student), and 33 years as (visiting) geography professor (3 years in China and 30 years in the U.S.). In her early 60s, the number of countries she visited finally reached 61. This chapter chronicles her personal time journey from a ‘sent down youth’ before entering college, her trips inside China, and since then. Her first overseas trip was flying crossing the Pacific Ocean to the United States, embarking on a journey that has since expanded her horizons and height, literally and figuratively. In particular, using examples of some the most memorable domestic and international trips, the chapter illustrates how an academic career enables her global travel, which in turn, enhanced her career as an academic.