The Journey to Beijing
China Trip Series #2
It was a 30-hour journey door to door. My flights took me from Greenville-Spartanburg, my home airport, to Detroit, and then to Beijing. We left home at 5:00 AM and finally arrived at my rented apartment in Beijing at 11:00 PM the next day. Unlike the previous post, which focused on deeper reflections, this one will capture my experiences and observations along the way.
Surprises
The first surprise came on my flight to Detroit when I met a Chinese woman returning home after visiting her daughter in a nearby town. We were delighted to find each other and even more so to discover that we were on the same flight to Shanghai. We quickly became travel companions, navigating the journey together.
With only a 40-minute layover in Detroit and a long trek between terminals, we were both anxious about missing the flight. But despite our quick transition, the Shanghai flight was delayed due to a catering disruption. Later, I found out that Delta’s food supplier had contamination issues, forcing the airline to scramble for food. As a result, the 15-hour flight offered only one meal and two light snacks — leaving me starving upon arrival in Shanghai! A strong headwind also delayed our arrival by two hours, causing several passengers to miss their connecting flights, including my new friend. Fortunately, I had a four-hour layover, so I was able to catch my next flight to Beijing without too much stress — helped by a small air traffic control delay.
Lesson learned: Go with the flow. Travel, like life, often surprises us. Having reasonable expectations is good, but we must also adapt. I was glad I packed snacks, something I now consider essential for every trip. It’s always wise to carry a jacket and a few snack bars for unexpected moments.
The second surprise came with my checked luggage. I assumed it would be offloaded in Shanghai for customs, as it typically is in the U.S. I waited at the conveyor belt, chatting with my new friend, only to discover that my luggage had been checked directly through to Beijing. Luckily, it was waiting for me at the Beijing airport, filled with gifts for loved ones.
I also ran into a snag with my digital boarding pass. In the U.S., I usually rely on my phone, but China operates differently. Since my flight was operated by China Eastern Airlines, Delta’s digital pass didn’t work. The self-check-in kiosks couldn’t help either, so I had to get a printed pass at the counter. Lesson learned: Redundancy matters. Printing a paper copy of boarding passes at check-in would have saved me a lot of hassle. It’s also a reminder that assumptions about systems differ from place to place. While most U.S. passengers use digital passes, printed passes remain standard in China.
The third surprise was the internet. Almost all the websites I rely on in the U.S. don’t work here — Gmail, WhatsApp, Medium, and even ChatGPT. China has its own digital systems that serve similar functions, but they don’t integrate with Western platforms. While arranging my apartment rental, I discovered that Airbnb has also ceased operations in China entirely. Fortunately, my work email still functions, allowing me to stay productive as needed.
Observations
I was surprised to see our flight route heading west rather than north. My previous flights to China crossed Russia and the North Pole, but due to the Ukraine war, Russia no longer allows U.S. or European flights through its airspace. This shift has also caused many flights to China to route through Japan or Korea — my return flight, for instance, will pass through Seoul. This change made me reflect on the interconnection of global events: how something like a war can alter even flight paths.
Because we flew west, we chased the sun, never entering night. It felt surreal, like time itself had paused during the journey.
When I arrived in China, I immediately noticed the abundance of service staff guiding passengers and offering help. At customs, I initially chose a manual lane, assuming the express lanes required special registration. But a kind officer explained that all modern passports with fingerprint data can use the express lanes. She encouraged me to try — and I passed with ease, saving 30 minutes of waiting. It was a small but meaningful gesture that left me feeling cared for.
Another delightful surprise awaited me at the Beijing Daxing Airport: a “courtesy service” station offering different-colored wristbands for passengers needing assistance — whether for first-time flyers, rushed travelers, or those seeking comforting companionship. Although it was late, and only one staff member was there, I could imagine how helpful this service would be during peak hours. I could relate to how airports can sometimes feel overwhelming, and how help stations can be really helpful.
Experiences
To make the 15-hour flight more manageable, I planned my activities: I read for six hours, watched three movies, journaled and wrote for about an hour, and spent the remaining time napping, meditating, and resting. This structure worked perfectly — the time flew by, and I never felt bored.
I felt an intense wave of excitement boarding the flight to Shanghai — this journey was about more than just a mission. (For more on my purpose, see this post.) It was also a homecoming, a return to the land that raised me. A friend once told me she felt the urge to kneel and touch the ground every time she returned to the U.S. from abroad. I can relate. In Iron Man, Tony Stark’s first request upon returning from captivity was a cheeseburger. There’s something deeply rooted in our connection to the places that shaped us.
Yet, I know both China and I have changed. This trip is not only about reconnecting but also rediscovering. Less than 24 hours in, I’ve already learned so much:
• The nuances between saying “I’m sorry” and “Excuse me”. More broadly, the importance of choosing words carefully — though my Chinese is understandable, it could be more elegant
• How to pay using Alipay in China’s cashless economy (after a kind breakfast vendor gave me a refresher)
Most striking, though, was a profound sense of unity, belonging, and harmony. It’s hard to pinpoint specific experiences, but I felt a deep comfort and relaxation upon arrival. I look forward to exploring this further as the trip continues.
Staying Present
With the dramatic shifts in time, space, and language, I found myself feeling disoriented at times. What time is it? Where am I? What language am I speaking? Chinese and English words floated in my mind unpredictably. It felt like surfing turbulent waters, where each moment brought something new. At some point I just gave up trying to “figure out” the bigger scale of time and space. But instead of feeling ungrounded, I embraced the thrill of staying present, moment by moment, breath by breath.
This journey has only just begun, and I am eager to see where it takes me next. Stay tuned!
