Familiar Places & Familiar Faces
// November 18th, 2008 // China, Dalian, Shanghai, Travel
This past weekend I flew up to Dalian to visit friends one last time before I go home in December. I figured I should say hi to everyone while I am still in the country because I really don’t know when I will get to see them all again. The weekend was great. Arriving in the airport late Friday night was major déjàvu. The plane taxied to the same gate that my summer began from back in May, and when I got off I immediately remembered how strange the place had seemed 6 months ago. I remember how lost and confused I felt not being able to understand anything or anyone around me. But this time it was different. I knew exactly where I was and where I wanted to go. I could read all the signs and I understood most of what people around me were saying. It honestly felt like I was coming home.
When I stepped outside the airport, I realized how much I missed Dalian. The city really is one of the most beautiful cities in China, and after spending 10 weeks in Shanghai the Dalian air seemed so fresh and clean. There were no loud buses and massive crowds. There were no foreigners on every block. It felt like China. It was nice. It’s strange to think about Dalian that way, because I remember thinking the city was dirty and crowded back in May, but that was a comparison to Blacksburg, where the population is less than 1% of Dalian’s. Compared to Shanghai, Dalian is a paradise.
Although I was only there for less than 48 hours, I had a great time just hanging out with friends. We basically did nothing, and it was perfect. We just ate good food and chilled at coffee shops. It is much colder in Dalian than Shanghai right now so staying inside was nice. Church on Sunday was the usual crowd, and it really did seem like I was only gone for a weekend instead of 3 months. It was so nice to just relax and do nothing together. Shanghai is such a busy city, and everyday here there is non-stop stuff to do. There is always work, swing dancing, tango lessons, and late conference calls that make the days fly by way too fast. I really haven’t had a chance to slow down since I got here. It has been really fun and exciting, but sometimes you just want to get away from it all. I’m going to miss China when I leave in December, but I think I will miss Dalian more than anything, and I hope I can come back someday.
