7:50am started the journey — myself, Wife, Daughter, Dog, and a Ford Explorer packed to its fullest. GPS leads a path that we have never driven before.

Two days prior, two strangers turned my 20+ years four-bedroom house into boxes. One day prior, 4 strong men vanished those boxes into a big truck. Weeks before, we started making frequent trips to Goodwill, local library, recycling center, or the dump.

A friend came by to bid farewell. She moved five years ago to a faraway place. When the big truck left, she said she cried uncontrollably in that empty house. Sadness is the emotion caused by a big lost. What do you lose when you move away from a place? You lose that warm feeling that you knew where everything is, where your friends are, and how to get anything done. You knew that it will take you a long time, if ever, to regain them in the new place.

The severing of ties to a house is like a limb from the body. It is not just a place you raised the family. It is the anchor to many emotional investments: friendships, remodeling, tears, sweats, and blood. Memories have permeated into those walls like roots grabbing onto the earth. Re-potting can be necessary to the growth, but it hurts.

The rented SUV rolled over 900 miles of asphalt before we arrived the the two-bedroom in this city. Dog kept on marking the new territory, as I tried to learn the neighborhood. This is as primal as it can be.

A week later, three strangers came in a big truck and turned my apartment into a sea of boxes. The boxes will disappear into this new home: my new home.

Last time I was here, it was literally hell. Furious blaze swept through the land and ended all lives in its path. The smoke was so thick that I cannot see the Grand Teton when I stood right in front of them. We escaped Yellowstone, choking, as the park was closing down. Later, it was known to be the fire of 1988.

Today, many 22-year-old skeleton trees still stand silently, some long ago fell. Saplings spawn among tall grasses, some young trees have reached about half of their ancestors’ height. Had we known that trees took so long to regenerate, would we have “let it burn” then?

Bison addiction was powerful and contagious. People will stop the car, jump off, and start snapping pictures whenever a bison come in-sight. This fever became uncontrollable when a herd of several hundred decided to come enjoy the sun in Hayden Valley. Old, young, male, and female bison were everywhere and literally stood in the middle of the road posing for those cameras and camcorders. If the rangers weren’t shooing people, they would try to pet those bison.

Deer, Black Bear, Grizzly, and possibly a Coyote we also saw. Moose definitely not and Elk was questionable, too far to tell. Whoever planning on a visit should bring a pair of high-power binoculars or a serious telescopic lens.

Beside Old Faithful, Yellowstone is good for at least two to three days of just sightseeing and light hiking. There are the upper and lower falls at the Grand Canyon (of Yellowstone), the Terrace at the Mammoth Hot Spring, and many geysers close to Old Faithful. The Yellowstone Lake is beautiful and offers many boating and water activities. For those who are serious hikers, horse-back riders, or bikers, then this park can easily fill a week’s time. Reserve the lodging probably a year early. As far as I can tell, only the Old Faithful area has cell phone reception. I did not see a TV anywhere and probably no Internet either.

There is a method to his madness. I was hooked by Hell’s Kitchen, again, this season. For those non-addicts, Gordon Ramsey is a Michelin Star chef doing a reality show. The winner gets to be the top cook of a world-famous restaurant. This is the American Idol for cooks.

Yet this is also a serious business. Gordon Ramsey owns those restaurants and needs the best person in the kitchen. He first looks for raw talents — people who know foods and can produce expensive and highly desirable dishes. Next he needs organization skills. In a Michelin restaurant, all foods must arrive the table at the same time; something that requires military level precision. I believe he is also looking for someone who is creative and manageable too. He wants a colonel, not a general.

TV or not, what would be the best method to select such talent?

First use high-pressure basic training to weed out those who do not have the raw skills. At the same time, the candidates learn the system: station assignment, services preparation, and, most importantly, quality expectation and processes. This period ends when half of them were out.

He then turns his attention to leadership and organization skills. He also observes their drives and competitiveness. Gordon wants a field commander that can win battles.

At the end, he gives the finalists the blank canvas: create their own menu that best show-off their skills. This step is critical since restaurants must delight patrons to keep their loyalty.

At all time, the pressure is kept high for two reasons: it boost TV rating and it amplifies weakness.

By season 7, all contestants knew the rules of the game well. We can observe their strategies — against each others and Mr. Ramsey. Of course, we all are picking our favorites and predicting the outcome. I got hooked by this reality show last season. Like his restaurants, Mr. Ramsey probably needs some new ideas for the show, otherwise, I am not sure how many more seasons it will last.

Scott Tong, a family friend, has been Marketplace’s ShangHai chief. As he finishes his 4-year oversea assignment, he gave a series on China’s one-child policy. I cannot match his depth of coverage, but can definitely add some colors.

Modern China is now filled with spoiled brats and lazy bums. Since the kid is the only hope for many parents and grand parents, he or she grew up well pampered and cannot really survive in the real world as an adult. They are called the Strawberry Generation — easily bruised and become useless by the slightest squeeze. They manipulate parents and grand-parents masterfully. They live lavishly and refuse any responsibility or accountability. They perish from lack of praising, let alone any criticism. Their parent shake their heads and worry about their survival and independence. At the same time, the older generation keeps on providing everything the young adult ask for, to a fault.

China also acquired a matter-of-course attitude on birth control and planning. A married couple need to apply permission to be pregnant. They get consultation on contraception tools and methodologies. Everyone knows when someone is having a kid and everyone talks about the costs of abortion, the effect of biological clock, the tips of birth planning, and other topics that western societies do only in the most intimate settings. When a couple have a second kid, everyone knew what they have gone through: resigned from governmental job, saved up for the penalty, moved to a bigger house, requested permission to enter school, etc.

Inhumane it was, this policy decreased China’s fertility rate faster than any other method would have. Human beings tend to disrespect whatever resources that are abundant. For a country with over a billion people, lives became cheap. Ironically, the cruel policy that killed millions of babies also made the new generation of children most precious.

Late March was a perfect time to move to Seattle. Winter lingered on and summer was lazy to insist. You can feel the seasons changing. One day it would be damp and cold and the next bright and balmy. I found myself grabbing the wind breaker, instead of the winter coat on my way out. They said the winter is not over until July 4th.

Why move? It’s the right size, right timing, and right city for me. Working for a small company is so refreshing. Decision chain is clear and short. No more months of slide deck refinements, socializations, budget allocation, and, worst, political bargaining. I felt the liberation from of the decision making speed and the satisfaction of being impactful. I am, hopefully, at the balance point of maturity and risk tolerance. Lastly, I like a smaller city’s downtown and actually a cooler climate.

The foods landscape here is different. Starbucks defines the minimum quality coffee anywhere in this city. Most places serve intense, flavorful, and near perfectly made coffee. Beers are excellent. Almost all restaurants offer local draft beers and they are all well-made. My recent favorite is Mac and Jack’s, an unfiltered pale ale. It is not so bitter and a bit fruity. Oregonian and Washingtonian wines are good and cheap. A $15 dollar Pinot Noir is at the same quality as $30 in California, at least to this amateur drinker. Of course the seafood are fresh and tasty. Oyster and Salmon are the best and they cook them (or serving them raw) just right. I found steaks boring but burgers great.

I have not ventured out of the Seattle downtown much. For a rainy city, people are extremely active outdoors. There are more runners, bikers, climbers, hikers, yoga, dancing, etc. than anywhere I have ever worked. These are serious exercisers: they train for events and try to win. One of the co-workers is a ultra-marathon runner. He runs 50 miles (in about 8 hours) in weekends.

Everyone who heard that I was from California gave me this wry smile like I am about to go through a hazing process. Seattle’s summer is charming and her winter drives those unfit to northwest away. As someone who arrived in March, I may be fooled into liking this place. “Just you wait,” they were thinking. “And let’s see if I will see you next year.”

OK, we’ll see.