First time as a snowbird. Hadn’t expected to feel the rip and pull of my roots so intensely. How can a bird have roots? Well, I do. And now I don’t. But my wings have spread, and the warmth is seeping in. Welcoming in that winter sunshine with a sigh.

Elyse Ribbons is an American author and playwright formerly based in Chengdu, China, but currently snowbirding in Florida. With an MFA in Peking Opera and a graduate of the Stanford GSB, she has a wide variety of interests and experiences. She publishes work in both English and Chinese.