Life Lessons !

After a break, I’m finally back with a new post — it’s about my personal experience traveling to China.

There have been so many moments in my life where I’ve felt like, “Yes, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone,” and even gave myself a little pat on the back. But honestly? I was wrong — or at least, I didn’t fully understand what being out of my comfort zone really meant until I traveled abroad for the first time… without my family.

That one step — boarding a flight to a foreign country all by myself — was when it truly hit me: Now I’ve left my comfort zone.

For most people, this might just be a regular trip. But for someone like me — an emotional, homesick soul who feels anxious even being 50 km away from home — this wasn’t just a travel experience. It was a series of life lessons.

Here are some of the key takeaways from my trip:

Learn to live without your phone and social media.

Adapt to the food that’s available. Don’t be picky — especially when you don’t have options.

Train your brain to ignore your nose. Yes, really. This helps when the food smells unfamiliar.

Life doesn’t halt even if you’re not at home (this is not for me, but for the people at my home 🤣) . The Earth doesn’t stop spinning.

Don’t assume English will get you everywhere. It won’t.

Follow the rules — strictly. Seat belts, traffic signals, zebra crossings… everything matters.

If You’re Expecting a Shanghai Travel Guide…

If you’re hoping I’ll share touristy tips about Shanghai — sorry to disappoint. It’s not that I don’t want to share my sightseeing experiences… it’s just that I didn’t have any! 😅I know you are assuming things looking at the picture in the post. But trust me, that is just the opposite side of the office we visited 🙄

We tried to catch a glimpse of the iconic Shanghai Tower, but thanks to a language barrier with our taxi driver, we ended up at a museum instead. (No regrets, though!) Eventually, we did get a far-off view of the tower — from the 16th floor of our office building, which was about 10–15 km away🤭 All thanks to one of my colleagues who helped me get alteast that glimspe 😀

Planning a Trip to China? Some Tips for You:

1. iPhone Users
   You’ll survive — if you have stable Wi-Fi and a VPN. I used VPN Cat, a tip I got from a kind soul at the airport.
2. Android Users
   Be prepared. You’ll need a VPN (preferably paid one for better reliability) or download the CMLink eSIM before you land in China. It offers flexible data plans and includes VPN access.

⚠️ Important: Set everything up before you enter China. If you are a lucky charm, then things might work for you even you try it from China, but not for everyone.

3. Staying Connected
   If you want to stay in touch with people outside China, you’ll need all of the above. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to wing it, just know you’ll be completely cut off from everything related to Google — including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook… and yes, if you are big fan of chatgpt, he he he then let the tech gods bless you !
4. Install a Translator App
   This one is non-negotiable.

Now Let’s Talk About… FOOOOD

If you’re vegetarian, get ready for a challenge. You will find fresh fruits and vegetables — no worries there, especially if you can live a happy life with just raw fruits & veggies like my sissy

But if you have a “bigger tongue” like me — someone who needs food that’s well-cooked, properly salted, and spiced — it’s high time to change your expectations and your eating habits. You can carry ready-to-eat meals or cup noodles, but trust me, they won’t last long. A week at most, and there’s a good chance your stomach might rebel and make you regret.

So try to convince yourself that you’re a health-conscious fitness freak who only craves protein and fiber. It helps. 😂

I’ve been meaning to write this short post about my Shanghai trip for a while now — and I finally did it!