About Me

Hello, I’m Rebecca.

I’m Rebecca, the author of China, Unexpected, a collection of stories from my years living and working in China.

I first arrived in November 2016, shortly after completing a PhD in History. I had few expectations—apart from the suspicion that I would be back in Britain within weeks. Instead, those weeks became more than seven years of friendships, laughter, unexpected adventures and, eventually, life through the pandemic. When I left in January 2024, China had given me some of the best years of my life.

I now think of myself as a graduate of the ‘University of China’. My years there gave me an education in the world—and in myself—that went beyond anything I had learnt during eight years of university study. The lessons came through everyday life: friendships, unfamiliar situations and learning to find my own way.

As a historian, I was used to studying other people’s stories. Moving to China gave me the chance to live one of my own. This blog draws on the diaries I kept along the way: the everyday discoveries, people and experiences that changed how I saw the world—and myself.

Today, I work as a Policy Analyst, researching how China, the UK and Europe approach Extended Producer Responsibility: the responsibilities producers have for products and packaging when they become waste. My work covers electronics, batteries, packaging, textiles and other waste streams.

China, Unexpected is the personal side of that continuing interest in China, and an expression of gratitude for the life I found there.