So when @Jiaming_Zhang and @Che_Ming both shared their fascinating life journeys (and casually dropped those beautiful photos along the way), I found myself thinking:
“Well… I guess I can’t keep pretending to be the low-key admin hiding behind the screen forever.”
…Alright, alright. Just kidding.
But honestly, the Robotime Community (and our team) is one of the few places where I genuinely feel comfortable sharing.
Slightly cynical, mildly sarcastic, but still caring and curious, that’s probably the shortest way to describe me.
Hi, I’m Patrick.
I was born in a town about a two-hour drive from Suzhou — where Robotime’s HQ is.
My parents were mentally supportive and surprisingly forward-thinking. They encouraged me, from a very young age, to look beyond the small world around me and see a much bigger one.
A big-time solo traveler & a culture nerd
I went on my first solo trip to Australia when I was 20.
I stayed in hostels in Sydney and Melbourne, shared life stories with backpackers and adventurers from all over the world, and soaked in the gentle breeze of the ocean and wide open land. It was unforgettable.
That trip quietly triggered my addiction to solo travel.
Since then, I’ve explored more than 30 cities around the world, mostly in Europe, and more than half of those trips were on my own.
Later, I was lucky enough to be admitted to the University of Amsterdam and moved to the Netherlands when I was 23.
Still, those three years without traveling in between somehow felt way too long.
Although I eventually decided to return to China after my studies and work there, that chapter remains one of the most precious and meaningful experiences of my life.
I explored the world of vegetarians and studied their consumption motivations through interviews.
I worked as a market researcher and spoke with young parents, learning first-hand about their struggles with feeding their babies.
I shared a room, daily routines and cultures with people from different countries, and became close friends with them. Some of them even attended my graduation ceremony as my “family”.
(My two lovely roommates)
(My very first birthday party abroad, when my friends couldn’t stand the fact that I didn’t own a rice cooker as an Asian and secretly bought me one.)
An introverted extrovert
To quote my best friend’s profile introduction — I’m an introverted extrovert.
I genuinely enjoy connecting with people, chatting, laughing and building relationships.
At the same time, I also deeply enjoy being alone, spending quality time with myself and quietly looking for inspiration.
Maybe even more so.
(Which probably explains why I keep choosing solo trips.)
Sometimes it’s hard to balance these two sides of me. But after taking a workshop called Self-Management in college and learning how to meditate, it has become much easier, especially during difficult moments.
I really hope I’ll give myself more time to reflect and meditate in 2026.
A challenger
I’ve always loved the dopamine rush that comes with trying new things, especially when they’re a little uncomfortable and a little scary.
But I love it even more when I realize I’ve reached a new personal height.
A few challenges I’m especially proud of:
- Despite a possible chest fracture (nothing serious, thankfully), I was satisfied that I managed skiing the second time I tried it.
- I studied four different subjects over seven years of pursuing degrees.
- I delivered three keynote speeches in two weeks, across three different countries.
To be continued…
(and hopefully, some of the next challenges will involve building Robotime kits 
)
A Robotimer
Like many people who found Robotime during a difficult chapter in life, I joined the team at a time when I had just gone through a personal failure and was slowly trying to put myself back together.
I’m genuinely grateful for my teammates — the people I work with every single day. They’ve given me so much support, warmth and laughter, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found a group of like-minded friends to do meaningful work together.
I’m also deeply grateful for everyone in this community.
Being able to interact with people from all over the world every day, and to share small moments of life, creativity and comfort together, still feels special to me.
When I was a kid, two of my “dream jobs” were becoming a therapist or a life coach.
In a very unexpected way, working with Team Robotime now allows me to send care, encouragement and small pieces of therapeutic content to our members.
And honestly… I couldn’t ask for a better version of that dream.
At the same time, I can’t wait to start my New Year’s vacation, when I will be going on my next solo trip & hikes in Hong Kong — my favorite city.
Happy Lunar New Year, folks! 
新年快乐 
yet because I guess I used mine up. But will come back to this! I really enjoy that you all share your stories with us. It makes this so much more of a close community. Thank you for sharing a part of you and I know we will talk soon!!
很高兴认识你，请多指教！新年快乐 
How about a herniated disc too?
I would love to do that one day (and I live in Australia lol).
Being able to explore 30 cities is such a cool experience, I’m jelly! I hope you’ll make a trip down south again and maybe swing by NZ. 
Thank you for sharing all your adventures!