When she left mainland China in 1980, she had one suitcase and US $ 20. When she moved from Canada to the U.S. in 1983, she had six suitcases and drove the 600 miles to her new home herself.
一九八○年離開中國大陸的時候，她帶著一隻箱子、廿美元，在甲板上目送細雨中漸行漸遠的上海；一九八三年，鄭念由加拿大遷居美國，六百英哩的路，她硬是駕著車，載了六箱行李，開上兩天兩夜找向新家。