Butterfly Dreams
Delving into China, Cross-Cultural Friendships, and the Environment
By Mary E. Klug
Publication Year: 2025
“Get to China before it changes too much,” Mary was advised.
It was 1982, and China was beginning to transform itself after years of isolation. When Mary, a seasoned Delta flight attendant, arrived in Hangzhou a year later, her life also began a major transformation. China became her passion—at times her nemesis and ultimately her teacher—as she returned year after year, decade after decade. Butterfly Dreams tells the story of how, through years of friendship and exploration, Mary came to discover her life’s purpose: working with others, in China and the United States, to create a sustainable and thriving Earth for all.
Table of Contents
Note from Author…1
Dedication…3
Introduction: China Dreams…9
Chapter One: Hangzhou, China, 1983…13
Chapter Two: Return Trip to China, 1984…35
Chapter Three: Two Key Memories…63
Chapter Four: Tibet, 1985…69
Chapter Five: Intentions, 1986…83
Chapter Six: US-China Peoples Friendship Association—New England (USCPFA-NE), 1990 – 91…87
Chapter Seven: Return to Huangshan and Temple Serenity, Spring 1992…105
Chapter Eight: Family Visit, Mountains, and Resolving the Jack Obsession, Fall 1992…121
Chapter Nine: Teaching in China, 1995 – 1996…145
Chapter Ten: Bringing China Home, 1996 – 2002…197
Chapter Eleven: Return to China, 2005 – 2006…207
Chapter Twelve: Awakening The Dreamer, Changing The Dream Symposium (ATD), 2011…213
Chapter Thirteen: Letting Go of Results, 2011 – 2015…227
Chapter Fourteen: Feeding Downstream, 2016 – 2020…261
Chapter Fifteen: Return to China, 2023 – 2024…275
Coda: Fifty Years in the Future…319
Acknowledgments…323
About the Author…325
Mary E. Klug | About the Author
For 36 years, Mary Klug was a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines. She has been teaching English as a Second Language for several decades, both professionally and as a volunteer. Mary is presently the Vice President of the New England chapter of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association, and an active member of the Pachamama Alliance. She volunteers for the North Shore Node of the environmental group 350MASS. Mary lives with her cat, Emma, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Read more at her blog: ecojourneyinchina.blog.
Mary in Yin Yu Tang
Photo by Sandra Howland
Praise for Butterfly Dreams:
“In Butterfly Dreams, I see a reflection of my own journey—a relentless pursuit of a dream that many deemed impossible. Mary Klug’s narrative resonates with the spirit of Solar Valley, where aspirations take flight, and sustainable living becomes a reality. Her experiences in China, her deep connections with its people, and her unwavering commitment to environmental harmony mirror the very essence of what we strive for in our solar endeavors.
This book is not just a memoir; it’s a testament to the power of dreams, the strength of cross-cultural bonds, and the imperative of ecological consciousness. Mary’s journey inspires us to believe that with passion and perseverance, we can illuminate the path to a greener, more harmonious world.”
— Huang Ming, developer of Solar Valley in Dezhou, China
“Butterfly Dreams is a beautiful example of how one person committed to making a difference with her life—and succeeded. Mary Klug’s creativity, determination and respect for her Chinese colleagues led to her work with groups in China over many years to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on the planet”
— Lynne Twist, cofounder of the
Pachamama Alliance and author of
Living a Committed Life
“Given that the United States and China are the world’s biggest economies and polluters, there has never been a time when it was more important to understand these two countries, their relationship to each other and the environment, and the chasm of misunderstanding that separates them. Butterfly Dreams is a personal journey over the bridge that crosses that chasm.”
— John Perkins, cofounder of the Pachamama Alliance;
author of Confessions of an Economic Hitman,
Touching the Jaguar and other books
“In Butterfly Dreams, Mary transports the reader into China’s past, where we join her in witnessing the country’s and people’s transformation over several decades. Her view of the process is powerful and compassionate, seen through eyes of hard-working, resilient people who have gone through tremendous struggles. Unexpected moments jump off the page in this intimate memoir.”
—Dame Doria Cordova, founder of Excellerated Business Schools® for Entrepreneurs (BSE) and author of the Money & You® Book Trilogy
“Mary Klug’s Butterfly Dreams offers a deeply engaging ethnography that spans 42 years of visits to China. Her observations of cities and regions of China stretch from the early 1980s to her encounters in environmental research/activism, in a narrative informed by a belief in the synchronicity of the forces of life, nature and spirituality. Beginning during her life as a flight attendant, her travels incorporate astute observations about the people of China and the changes to their everyday lives as their standard of living improved along with their concern for global coexistence. Her story offers unconventional insights about how the politics of China have evolved from one of isolation to a more capitalist-socialist one; the challenge of learning the Mandarin language as well as teaching English in Hangzhou; cats(!); the Catholic Church and Buddhism; an appreciation for the peace advocacy of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association New England; reflections on her private life; an obsessional effort to comprehend China as an American by visiting the country many times; promoting the Awakening the Dreamer (ATD) Symposium created by the Pachamama Alliance; leading Seminars for teachers and interested members of the Chinese public. As a woman who became an innovative environmental advocate, Mary Klug’s story of personal development combined with a late-in-life commitment to earth care and healing exudes honest intensity about her transformation from a naïve American traveler to a committed friend of Chinese sustainable development.”
— Marcus Breen, PhD, Communications Department, Boston College
“Mary Klug’s memoir shares her interactions with the Chinese people while teaching, traveling, and studying environmental changes in an era of great societal transition. Her affinity for their language, history and philosophies motivates her personal journey and friendships. China’s ancient civilization continues to transform itself in alluring and futuristic ways. Klug captures that essence in her writing.”
— Diana Greer, President, US-China Peoples Friendship Association
“A moving, remarkable, and frank memoir of how a flight attendant evolved, through a lifelong relationship with China, into an ecological warrior.”
— Michael Liu, author of Forever Struggle: Activism, Identity, and Survival in Boston’s Chinatown, 1880–2018
“Mary is deeply committed to taking care of the earth and its people. It is not a platform. It is not a political stance. It is simply Mary’s love and understanding of the world around her, particularly China. This book is indeed a labor of love.”
—Jan Ploude, founder of the REAL (Reading and Educational Assistance for Learning) Program