Born and raised in a little southern California beach town on sand, salt and avocados, I grew up with one foot in the sand and the other in the sea. Since before I can remember, the ocean has given me the sort of peace of mind that can typically only be found in churches. The beach became my best friend by the time I was two, and you could find me there if ever you couldn't find me anywhere else.

 

I recently graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Multimedia Design. And yes — you could say I went to Pepperdine because I couldn't bear the thought of being away from the ocean. I did, however, break free from my little West coast bubble my sophomore year of college by venturing over to the great continent of Europe and studying abroad in Switzerland. There for seven months, I traveled almost every weekend and visited over fourteen countries and thirty six cities. I experienced some incredible places and was given opportunities I could have ever only dreamed of. Adventure invigorates me and that year was the most invigorating year of my life.

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Passionately and faithfully, 

XX Shan