Passionately Pursuing Untold Stories

THE GLOBAL SLATE

Our Manifesto

We believe in the transformative power of storytelling as an essential expression of human civilization and connection. We believe that remarkable people need remarkable stories to break through cultural and geographic barriers. In an increasingly globalized world, it’s our narratives that shape our future.

We are passionately interested in people who have been brave enough to uproot their lives and start fresh with a clean slate. We have been pursuing their untold stories for over 10 years, and growing our community of like-minded curious travelers and storytellers.

We are here to help you craft your narrative, and guide you through a curated journey of discovery and self-discovery. We believe that meaningful and multi-faceted travel can chart and change the trajectory of our lives, and as we allow the world to shake and shift us, we become the person we are destined to be.

This is for the curiosity embodied globetrotter

Our Founder

Bu Xian (Bubu) was born and raised in Harbin, China. She holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Boston College and a master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia University.

After working as a reporter for a Chinese newspaper in Tanzania from 2014 to 2016, she stayed on for three more months and dedicated her own time and resources to capture the life-stories of Chinese migrants on camera. One year later, with the support of a professional team in China, the incredible amount of video footage became the source material of an award-winning five-part documentary series, “Bubu in Africa”. This series earned Bubu the Heilongjiang Provincial News Third Prize and the Best China-Africa Development Reporting Award from the Epstein Center for Global Media and Communication at Tsinghua University.

More about Bubu Around the World

OVERSEAS
20国海外华人系列纪录片

Led by award-winning journalist and filmmaker Xian Bu, OVERSEAS is a documentary series that spans 20 countries, tracing the lives of foreign national Chinese who started their new lives and businesses from zero. Through layered struggles of entrepreneurship plus integration with the local culture, we gain insight into what drives these life-changing decisions, and what were the pivotal moments in their trajectory. Through writing and filmmaking, we unearth these hidden stories and share them with the larger world.

Students will have a multifaceted travel experience rich in research and story-telling - and professional support for every step of the creation process - ideation, creative support, narrative arc, brainstorming, interview techniques, writing, filming, and producing. Many students have used these experiences to showcase their commitment to growth and engagement with the global community. They have made compelling applications to study abroad and for post- secondary education and scholarships.

Join us in 2025

Guided and Crafted by Extraordinary People

Collectively, our nomadic ways have taken us to more than half of the world, so we decided it was time we start leading story-telling adventures.

As Third Culture storytellers telling stories about Third Culture people, we relate to culture and the world through relationships and experiences, regardless of geography. We seek worth, and find value in individuality, character, impact, and care.

Every journey is guided by extraordinary people, unified by a love of tracing and telling the stories of uncommon and remarkable culture-crossers, instead of traditional touristic landmarks.

EXPERT CURATION

We don’t outsource or represent any big box travel agency. We do our own research to guarantee every detail is treated with meticulous care. We hand-select premium local guides on the ground prior to each tour to personally ensure that everyone who embarks on the journey with us is Best-in-Class.

TAILORED TO YOU

We want you to form your own opinions about the world, so the onboarding process includes a questionnaire to understand your goals, priorities, and challenges, and an interview to ensure the experience provided is optimized and best aligned to your objectives.

What others have said

"XB showed a lot of progress and learned a huge amount from her time in Malaysia. I was delightly surprised. Perhaps it's because she was able to shadow J on this trip, she was very motivated, and had remarkable output with her vlogs."

XB’s Parent
“Jasmine kept us up to date every step of her journey, she raved about how incredible her coaches were, and how incredible her peers were. She's really fortunate to have been part of Bubu's group, and she's a fan of the entire team. When she came home, she said she missed everyone, and that she wanted to be back in Malaysia! We're just thrilled for her. Thank you!”

Jasmin’s Parent
“The mentors and coaches are so helpful. I wished I had met them sooner! Never in my life had I written such a long and in-depth article. It really expanded my horizons and perspectives.”

Kallie, Indonesia tour participant