I’ve never considered China for our slow travel circuit - but this made me curious. Really curious.
“What kind of stories are we chasing when we travel? And how often are they the ones we’ve written in advance?”
That line stuck with me.
We’ve been slow traveling full-time since early retirement, mostly in places that feel a little dreamy, a little edited. But your post made me pause. Maybe it’s time we let a place change us instead of the other way around.
Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words. I think your slow travel approach is one of the best ways to really let a place sink in. There’s no single right way to travel, but China, while it can be difficult and unphotogenic at times, can also be deeply rewarding if you’re open to it.
Enjoyed this read. I love wandering around new cities, but now I'm asking myself - do I love wandering around cities or do I love wandering around "pretty" cities? Thanks for the prompt!
Beautiful piece. To be fair, I’m probably not going to Wuhan anytime soon but I am on a journey to find beauty in ‘ordinary’ places instead of chasing the best destinstions so this really made me think. Also, how cool that you got to experience the pre pandemic Wuhan?!
Thank you so much, Fialka. I am glad to hear you are also looking for the beauty in ordinary places. And yes, I was really grateful to experience pre-pandemic Wuhan and its people.
I always wanted to go to Wuhan, but a magical Wuhan that never existed. One where the Yangtze ran clean and unpolluted, pre-industrial, but also without the mud and filthy slums of a historical Chinese city.
I’ve never considered China for our slow travel circuit - but this made me curious. Really curious.
“What kind of stories are we chasing when we travel? And how often are they the ones we’ve written in advance?”
That line stuck with me.
We’ve been slow traveling full-time since early retirement, mostly in places that feel a little dreamy, a little edited. But your post made me pause. Maybe it’s time we let a place change us instead of the other way around.
Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words. I think your slow travel approach is one of the best ways to really let a place sink in. There’s no single right way to travel, but China, while it can be difficult and unphotogenic at times, can also be deeply rewarding if you’re open to it.
Unphotogenic is both a challenge and a relief. Thank you for introducing this possibility! 🇨🇳
I’m from Wuhan and was in Wuhan in July. “Wuhan didn’t need a story. It was a city. It is a city. And that should be enough.” - love this.
Thanks so much, Wanqing.
Enjoyed this read. I love wandering around new cities, but now I'm asking myself - do I love wandering around cities or do I love wandering around "pretty" cities? Thanks for the prompt!
Thanks and great thought. I think it’s both. Some cities charm you right away, others grow on you. Both are worth the walk!
Beautiful piece. To be fair, I’m probably not going to Wuhan anytime soon but I am on a journey to find beauty in ‘ordinary’ places instead of chasing the best destinstions so this really made me think. Also, how cool that you got to experience the pre pandemic Wuhan?!
Thank you so much, Fialka. I am glad to hear you are also looking for the beauty in ordinary places. And yes, I was really grateful to experience pre-pandemic Wuhan and its people.
what a thought provoking travelog! An unedited city is really worth going !
They absolutely are, thank you!
Great piece Scott.
Thank you!
I always wanted to go to Wuhan, but a magical Wuhan that never existed. One where the Yangtze ran clean and unpolluted, pre-industrial, but also without the mud and filthy slums of a historical Chinese city.