Two months ago I vividly remember nervously navigating my way through customs at Beijing’s airport, too many bags in hand and with too many cold weather clothes on. As I battled with my array of baggage and fumbled with my documentation for security, a wave of uncertainty came over me as I practically forgot my own name when putting pen to paper to fill out my arrival card. Having travelled quite extensively in the past, I was surprised at how overwhelmed I was feeling, but it became clear pretty quickly that this adventure was going to be different than the rest. Perhaps it was that excitement and nervousness that propelled me through the customs gates rather than running for the hills, when the thoughts of not knowing a single word of Chinese or not having any friends here darted back and forth through my mind. As I waited anxiously among the queues of people who were also on the same mission as me to clear customs, out of habit I checked my usual threesome of apps, Facebook, Gmail and Instagram. I guess it wasn’t until that moment, when the pages didn’t load, that I was rapidly jolted into the reality that I had just moved my entire life five thousand miles from my home country of Ireland. I had most definitely and undeniably arrived in China.
After receiving my stamp, I trotted through the arrival gates with a flood of thoughts still racing through my mind as to who or what was waiting for me on the other end of this journey. Maybe I still had time to turn back. Ireland is only a fourteen-hour plane ride away after all. As I pushed those illogical thoughts aside, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my name being held up on a placard. A-O-I-F-E. There it was, at least one familiar Irish thing. Panic subsided and I received a really warm welcome from my new colleagues and friends. As we left the airport and drove towards all my hopes and expectations for this new chapter in my life, I felt a wave of calmness take over and my anxiety slowly disappeared. To be honest, I feel like checked all that doubt permanently at the airport doors and the benefits of doing that truly enriched my China experience so far.
Being a passionate long distance runner, mountaineer and photographer, the idea of being located in west Beijing greatly appealed to me as I would be living and working only a short bus ride from the foothills of some of the epic mountains that surround the city. On my days off I have visited some of the most stunning parks both here in Beijing and further afield, such as Fragrant Hills, Fahaisi, Badachu and Taishan. Of course one of the highlights for any visitor to Beijing is hiking on the Great Wall. Watching the sun rise surrounded by my new friends as it lit up this seemingly endless structure, is forever etched in my memory. It is probably one of the most impressive scenes I have witnessed in my travels to date. These parks are all gateways to endless trails where you feel completely removed from city life and fully engaged in nature. If you go hiking to a high point in the hills during mid October, you can view a sea of autumnal shades as the leaves turn colour on one side of the mountain and take in the magnificent views of the city on the other. Beijing is a photographers’ playground and you can quickly amass a wonderful portfolio of dramatic landscapes, cityscapes or document Beijing daily life. It is this juxtaposition of city and nature that makes the Beijing experience truly unique for me. My day could consist of a long run in the hills and by night I could wander the bustling markets sampling street food with my friends.
It would be easy to be misled into thinking that Beijing is just all smog and too many people, but I have easily sought out my own little hideaways where I can unwind. When I don’t feel the urge to venture too far from home then there are an abundance of immaculately kept local parks to explore. Imagine Central Park in New York City, but if you had roughly fifty of them at your disposal. That is the kind of scale you are working with here. Yes, there are a lot of people living here and sure, there are some smoggy days but the marriage of concrete and nature in this place is most definitely well balanced. ‘Beijingers’ relish park life and on any occasion you could stumble across a group of dancers engaging in perfectly synchronized routines, people practicing Tai Chi or someone singing their heart out. It is quite remarkable how much of a community vibe is present in such a large city. My favourite local park is called Laoshan and it is nestled in the heart of Shijingshan. Home to the Olympic Mountain Biking course, within fifteen minutes I can go from sitting in my apartment to standing at the top of a lookout tower and savour a panoramic view of the city at sunset. After that, I can wander through the many tracks and trails that meander throughout the park and breathe the smell of trees and flowers.
Disorienting at first, Beijing promises to become more familiar with each day and it will transform into a place where you can thrive. My sensibility changed from being overly cautious not to stray too far from my apartment complex for fear of getting lost, to going on solo explorations of the wilderness in various parts of the country. The essential ingredients for a successful experience in Beijing or China is to bring an adventurous spirit and willingness to adapt to your surroundings. If you do, the experience promises to be truly rewarding.
If I were teetering on the edge of a decision to move to China, I would take a leap of faith and go! It is a place of self discovery, a chance to really test yourself and see what you are made of. If like me, you are a person who thrives on feeling out of their depth at most times and enjoy unique challenges, a move to China will not fail to satisfy your needs. It’s a wonderfully weird and inspiring place where the mundane rarely exists and adventure is waiting around every corner.