This post isn’t about technology; it’s about going home, about leaving, and about the trade-offs adults make.
Landed in Dalian on December 18th. My body was back, but my spirit was still en route.
The first few days were simple: eating, sleeping, adjusting to the time difference. Going to shopping malls, business halls, supermarkets, and having home-cooked meals at my parents’ place. Life quickly settled back into its familiar rhythm.
The days that followed were spent in a cycle of accompanying family, taking care of the child, and meeting friends. The days were fragmented but full.
Those Fragmented Yet Fulfilling Days#
After returning to Europe, a colleague asked me:
“What big things did you do on your trip back home?”
I thought about it, and truthfully, there wasn’t anything “big.”
- Took the child to my sister’s house, while my wife went to a concert;
- Took my mom to the hospital, and ran into a colleague at Wanda who had also returned from abroad on the same day;
- Swam, played soccer, browsed Decathlon, walked along Binhai Road, and drank coffee with friends, discussing both AI technology and life;
- Had a long bath, browsed Uniqlo, and “mooched” meals alternately at my parents’ and in-laws’ houses…
Taken individually, these things were ordinary.
But strung together densely, they formed the “rhythm only found when home.”
No need to plan, no chasing efficiency, just going with the flow.
In the middle, the child caught a cold and fever, and the focus of life instantly narrowed to one thing: hoping the child would get better quickly.
Fortunately, everything slowly returned to normal.
A Few Unforgettable Moments#
Life is like that; what truly touches you is often not the grand narrative, but rather some very small moments.
- Driving back with the child and my parents after an outing, they wanted to get off early and walk home. In that moment, I suddenly remembered the exact same scene when I said goodbye before my last trip abroad, and my heart felt a pang.
- Driving alone with the child to my parents’ house, listening to music on the way, the child asleep in the back seat. The world was quiet; in that moment, I felt very content.
- On Wednesday of the last week of the holiday, we ordered a cake, and the whole family celebrated mom’s birthday together, singing “Happy Birthday,” blowing out candles, and eating cake.
Farewell—The Other Side of the Coin#
On the afternoon of January 23rd, we went to my parents’ place for the last meal.
Having seen them almost every other day for a month, this “taken-for-granted” reunion was suddenly coming to an end, and I felt extremely uncomfortable.
When closing the door and saying goodbye, I still couldn’t hold back.
As I went downstairs to drive back to my own home, I looked up and saw them standing by the window, looking down.
My eyes instantly welled up.
January 24th, the last day.
My wife’s sisters came to our house and stayed for the afternoon. That evening, at the airport send-off, she and her sister hugged and cried.
This has almost become a fixed scene every time we leave.
I know: It’s not just us who are leaving; those who stay behind are also experiencing loss.
On The Besieged City, Distance, and Companionship#
Some might ask:
If you miss home so much, why go abroad? Since you’ve left, what’s there to be sentimental about?
Life is never a multiple-choice question; it’s a question of trade-offs.
Many times, “where there’s home, there’s no job, or the job market is too competitive” is the price we pay for our chosen life path.
But thinking calmly, perhaps even some people who are in China, in the same city as their parents, are still too busy to sit down for a few meals a year.
Distance, sometimes, is just physical remoteness. Busyness is what truly pushes people apart.
Fortunately, although we are temporarily separated from the extended family, our small family remains together.
I think, high-quality companionship may be better than low-quality interaction.
Because time is limited, we live more intensely instead. We chat more seriously, eat more mindfully, and cherish every hug before saying goodbye.
The holiday is over, and we’re back on our original track. But this past month will shine brightly in my heart for a long time.
When together, cherish the time. When you can meet, don’t just say “another day.”
Looking forward to seeing you again in Dalian next time.
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