Kaiwen Zhang

The past week has been a complete nightmare. After five years as an influencer, with over two million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, you'd think I'd have everything figured out by now. But no. Even at 25, with all my experience, I've learned the hard way that everything can still go wrong.

I had just returned from Bali, where I was working on my latest travel content. The trip was incredible, of course—stunning beaches, vibrant culture, and mouth-watering food. As soon as I got back to my apartment in Shanghai, China, I was eager to start editing. Exhausted from the flight, I transferred all the footage from my camera to my external hard drive, a routine I’ve done countless times before. Then, in my tired state, I made a catastrophic mistake.

I was supposed to delete the files from my camera to clear some space, but my brain was on autopilot. Somehow, I ended up formatting my hard drive instead of the camera. My heart sank as I realized what I had done. All the files, not just from Bali but from the last few months, were gone in an instant.

I panicked, feeling that familiar tightness in my chest. At least I still had the Bali footage on my camera, but everything else? Months of hard work, collaborations, personal memories—it was all gone.

The next day, I rushed to a data recovery shop in Shanghai, hoping they could salvage something. As I waited for the technician to check my hard drive, another customer came in with the same issue. He looked around my age, and we started talking to pass the time. It turned out he was into videography as well, and we hit it off instantly. He was kind, easygoing, and honestly, a welcome distraction from the stress I was feeling.

Before we left, we exchanged numbers. Maybe something good can come out of this mess. It’s funny how life throws these curveballs, how a disaster can lead to an unexpected connection. Maybe this is just fate’s way of reminding me that not everything can be controlled or planned. Maybe it’s a sign to slow down, breathe, and let things unfold as they’re meant to.