What made you start your self-driving road trip?
Qiu Yisong: Hitting the road to travel may have a lot to do with my personal experience. Back in 2010 when I was about to graduate from university, my father was diagnosed with last stage lung cancer. That made me give up my initial plans to pursue my postgraduate studies and I started working instead. One day on my way to work, I met with a serious traffic accident, which resulted in the amputation of my left leg, which was a double disaster for my family. At that time, as I was lying on the hospital bed, my mother was the only one taking care of my father. Half a year later, my father passed away. When he passed away, I couldn’t even visit him for a proper farewell, and that left a lot of pain in my heart. After my father left, my mother came to take care of me. At that time, I did not practice any filial piety, which left a lot of regrets in my heart. So, I decided that I must cherish every moment with my mother and not have any more regrets. I just wanted to give my mother a good present as soon as I could receive the accident compensation. My mother likes to travel, but she has never visited any place, so I decided to buy a car and take her around the country, and that’s how our road trip plan commenced.
Did you encounter any difficulties during the road trip? How did you overcome them?
Qiu Yisong: Speaking about difficulties, in fact, the most dangerous time was when I was driving to Tibet. At that time, my car got caught in a mudslide, and was stuck at the foot of the mountain behind a big truck. There were even a few light scratches and dents on the car. The road was a narrow one-way lane, making it even more dangerous. But if you have perseverance, you will realize that there are many kind-hearted people on the road. Many extended a helping hand whenever I encountered difficulties, and that further strengthened my own persistence. Eventually, all problems on the road would get resolved.
How do you think this trip has changed your life?
Qiu Yisong: First for my mother, she had slight depression before we set off. But on the way, she saw different scenery and experienced many different environments. I could feel the change in her: the depressed elderly lady became more optimistic. As for me, I met a lot of friends on the road, and at the same time enjoyed the spectacular scenery of the motherland. However, the most important point is that I learned persistence. Many people would say, "Hey, it is so nice for you to drive around to travel and enjoy"; but driving on the road is very tiring. You also need to face various difficulties, setbacks, and uncertainties on the road. Sometimes I would reach a state of exhaustion. At that time, I would say to myself, since I have chosen to take this path, I will walk it to the end.
What is your main job now, and what are your plans for the future?
Qiu Yisong: I am now running a guesthouse in Dali, Yunnan and have opened 4 branches since 2016. I like the environment in Dali very much, and I also like interacting with guests who visit the inn. So, my current job is a guesthouse owner in Dali, which sounds very romantic to many people. As for future plans, in the past two years I have encountered some bottlenecks in my development in Dali. I have always wanted to go to another city to find a way out. I chose Shenzhen as another destination, so I’m planning to go to Shenzhen to find a job. I don’t have a detailed plan yet about what job I’ll do, but the homestay here in Dali will definitely continue to run, which means that in the future, I’ll be travelling between Shenzhen and Dali.
Can you leave a message to people with disabilities?
Qiu Yisong: In my life, I don't see myself as a person with disabilities. In fact, if one's own consciousness does not regard oneself as a person with disabilities, then he is not a disabled person. Some close friends would often say: "Brother Qiu, I never think you are a person with disabilities." In fact, this is a state, so I hope that other people with disabilities have more confidence. In my eyes, I can still do what others can do, and I will find a way to do what others cannot do.
REHACARE.com; Source: REHACARE Shanghai