September 13, 2024
Sometimes, an ordinary experience surprises us — turning the mundane into something extraordinary. Writer Crystal Chan felt this on a walk she took in her neighborhood with a friend, reminding ...
July 7, 2022
Writer Crystal Chan loves to cook. During the pandemic, she traveled home often, enjoying long stays with her parents. To show her gratitude, she would cook delicious and comforting dishes ...
January 6, 2022
Driving home on a snowy night, author Crystal Chan and her mother encountered a hitchhiker in the blowing snow. The question of whether to pick him up or not led ...
October 6, 2020
Author Crystal Chan has lived in Chicago for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought her back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to reconnect with her family. She shares a story of ...
April 24, 2019
When you picture a playground the image of swings and slides and monkey bars comes to mind. But a playground can be much more than that. Crystal Chan has this ...
November 8, 2017
The first time I realized that my mom was not Mom, I was five years old. I lived in Oshkosh, and in the park across the street, the recreation department ...
December 2, 2016
There’s tremendous power in giving. When writer Crystal Chan was the beneficiary of kindness in an unlikely place – Chicago traffic – she found a way to repay that kindness ...
June 22, 2016
For some people, rain is the chance to hunker down indoors. For others, rain is something to enjoy outdoors. Crystal Chan grew up with a rain-loving mother who encouraged her ...
April 15, 2016
Many of us were forced to play sports as a child. Crystal Chan’s parents signed her up for tee-ball. One disastrous outing led to a change of plans. I am ...
September 4, 2015
The first time I experienced wonder was on my first day in kindergarten. That crisp, September morning, my mom took pictures of my brother and me on the stoop outside ...
August 12, 2015
My childhood home in Oshkosh lay on the outskirts of town, at the edge of a farmer’s field. It was in and beyond this field that I would tromp and ...
June 5, 2015
My dad never asked for directions. Never. He always knew the best way to get there, especially when he didn’t. One spring day, we were preparing to go to Milwaukee ...
January 14, 2015
Editor's Note: Snow and cold trigger warm memories for Crystal Chan. Now living in Chicago, she recalls what winter meant during a Wisconsin childhood and how she tries to recapture that ...
June 4, 2014
Crystal Chan grew up a mixed-race kid in Wisconsin. She tells us she's been finding her place and answering people's questions about her place ever since. == Growing up in ...
