Zaijian

Today is my penultimate day in China. I'm surrounded by the accumulated remnants of my time in Dalian. It's chaotic, but gradually becoming more organised as I get brutal and throw out/give away even more of my stuff. Soon I'll have very little left, but it will still be more than enough. The value of travelling light is not truly appreciated until you find yourself comfortably and easily transporting your luggage from airport to train station, ferry to bus stop, without breaking sweat, viciously kicking the suitcase, or slipping a disc. I get a smug feeling of being an experienced and smart traveller when I can move my own luggage with ease. I bought a new suitcase yesterday to replace the old black behemoth with the dodgy wheels. That thing is so cumbersome and really makes me mad every time I have to deal with it. It will be staying in China this time.

As the time of departure draws nearer, I'm feeling quite sad and am thinking of my favourite places in Dalian, thinking that it's the last time I'll see them. Leaving friends behind is even worse, especially Chinese friends who can't easily travel and visit me in Belgium or elsewhere.

Part 2:
The last day in Dalian has been and gone. I said goodbye to the last of my friends, packed up the remains of the apartment and handed the keys back to the landlord. There's one person I'll especially miss, but he'll be going to my country soon and may even be there when I arrive home. This melancholy feeling about leaving people/places behind seems to increase as I get older, this semi-transient lifestyle is painful at times, but I know that I'm happier this way than I would be with some of the alternatives. I've been very lucky to meet some fascinating people and live in some great places. That's going to continue for a few more years yet!

I'm off to Korea on a ship.