So, as it turns out… selling all your stuff and moving to China during a global pandemic is not easy.
(Pause for reflection.)
I suppose moving across the street isn’t a stroll in the park either, but it doesn’t mean giving up your dog and being 10,000 kilometres away from your family.
Whose idea was this, anyway?
On to the details:
As difficult as it was to make the decision to move from Canada, we slogged through the rigorous process of acquiring our documentation, attained our Chinese work visas, and fit our lives into three suitcases.
We had nothing shipped.
Sixteen hours of flying, two quarantine hotels and a leave-no-stone-unturned health exam later, we live and work in Suzhou (pronounced “soo jo”), a beautiful little bedroom community of thirteen million people, just west of Shanghai.
Referred to by some as the “Venice of the East”, Suzhou is a unique and charming city, criss-crossed by a network of canals and bridges. It has many traditional Chinese gardens, temples and pavilions. The city is dotted with tranquil parks, lakes and fountains that allow for meditation and reflection in an otherwise fast-paced, urban sprawl.
In every way, Suzhou has it covered: The weather is temperate, there are many shops and restaurants, clean and efficient public transport, next-to-no crime, and an old world charm blended with a modern vibe… not to mention a huge-ass arch that resembles a pair of pants.
What more could you want in a city?
Granted, it’s early in the game, but we couldn’t be happier about our decision to set out and try something new!
You’ve got one life.