I just closed this door for the last time — and closed the door on 20 years of reporting abroad. It’s been such a privilege to work for the @WashingtonPost and the @FinancialTimes across many countries and with many dedicated colleagues. Forgive my sentimental tweets tonight

Over years of reporting from closed-off countries, I’ve tried to show the humanity of these places, the real people with real hopes and dreams and troubles who live there. I hope I’ve been able to show, in some small ways, a few of the things that link us all.

It’s particularly depressing, especially at this time, that American readers have fewer insights into Chinese lives. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the world is a better place when we can empathize with each other.

I hope I contributed a tiny bit to this understanding, particularly of the plight of the North Korean people. Thank you to everyone who’s agreed to be in my stories, who’s helped me along the way, and who’s read the finished product. It’s been a blast.