After more than a year of staying at home and being in company with my parents, it's time to leave and start a new life. The first city is Suzhou; let's see whether it's as good as we thought.

It's thousands of kilometers from Shenzhen to Suzhou. I can travel there by HSR (High-Speed Rail) or plane. It would take almost 9 hours by HSR but only 2 hours by plane. I've never taken a plane before because I've never been so far away. I've heard that flying can be troublesome, but if I want to go further in the future, sometimes flying is the only option. This two-hour flight might be a good opportunity to try.

The Shenzhen airport is bigger than I had anticipated. The most surprising aspect to me is how clean and fragrant the public toilets can be. This must be the smell of money 😃 I arrived at the airport two hours before my flight, but there weren't many people, so the process was smooth. After completing the entire process, I had more than an hour to spare. Unlike the HSR station waiting room, the airport waiting area is so vast and empty. I can sit here and there, moving around if I get bored. There are free charging ports, free cups, and warm water. There's even a McDonald's. It's easy to pass the time there.

Everything went well during the flight. It was a small plane, somewhat crowded, and not very comfortable. However, this was my very first time being in the sky; I was a little scared, but more excited and curious. Now I know what it looks like in the sky.

After this flight, I've realized that the HSR is a better option if the plane is not the only choice. The stable pricing, more comfortable seats, and more luggage-friendly policies make it more appealing.

Since there is no airport in Suzhou, I had to fly to Shanghai and then take an HSR to Suzhou. Well, there are so many trains from Shanghai to Suzhou, it's almost like taking the subway.

It gets dark so early; I found a nearby hotel, dropped off my luggage, and went out to find some food for supper. The roads are wide and empty, with few people around, like a clean and newly built city. It's weird, but I like it. It's just a good place to contemplate my past life and think about the future.

In the past, I'd heard about the small bridges, flowing water, and houses typical of the Jiangnan area. Wandering around, I found this place, lol, exactly as described: small bridge, flowing water, and houses.