Shanghai is a lot.  A ton of people.  A mass of buildings.  Unbelievably huge streets filled with all sorts of vehicles.  It is somewhat overwhelming….an astonishing sea of humanity. And, all of it is in Mandarin.  The masses shuffle along pulling you with them. Your body is connected to the mass.  Our American comfort bubbles are not valid here.  They will not work when you are faced with this amount of people.  You cannot maintain your own space.

As we are here during their New Year, I have been told the city was “vacant”.  I can only imagine what it might appear to be when it is filled with the population that lives here.  It must be like watching fire.  You cannot look away.

Travel is a series of calculated risks.  That is part of the fun.  The adventure.  Jumping off the ship into a culture that is entirely unknown, except to Scott.  He has traveled here many times and knew what it might feel like to the rest of our family.

Eating is difficult.  Mandarin is not something you can simply figure out. It is mid-winter, and freezing cold.  It is also flu season which has me constantly telling the boys not to touch things.  Keep your hands in your pockets! We wear every ounce of our clothing when we go out. As we only have two winter stops, this only includes two winter “outfits” each. Our two outfits are absolutely filthy now.  Ready to be tossed once we hit the warmer lands.

For our visit in China, we decided to spend our 6 days in Shanghai. The temps up north scared us.  (Too cold!  Far too cold for touring!…..according to me.) The reports of serious pollution emptying cities kept us down south.

Linc and I spent 2 days in the brand new Disney Resort before joining Scott and Tate again in the city.  We knew our existence at Disney was created and not completely real.  We loved every sparkling minute.  Room service, feather beds, and On Demand Disney movies.

Upon our return to Shanghai, we left the ship as a group.  We had rented another AirBNB apartment for the remaining nights.   I had made the arrangements, so knew the score. The familial group did not know what I knew.  The call of reliable wi-fi and 2 bedrooms was what I was after.  And, the ability to provide the true travel experience to the boys.

Shop where the locals do. Cobble together some sort of meal.  Use the appliances, the keys,  and the elevators. Follow the crowds of locals to their favorite restaurants.  Look behind the tourist experience.  This is what we were after.

Our apartment is in a 1940’s historic area called The Bund.  It is now protected as historic to preserve the nature of this area.  When so many of the other historic buildings have been torn to the ground, I knew this was an opportunity to look beyond the exterior and get a glimpse of the everyday type of experience that makes travel what it is.  The building that housed this apartment could have 1000 different families living behind the walls.  It took up a city block.  It was so very, very large.

The boys were shocked.  The conditions of the common areas had them extremely nervous.  As our host had repeatedly explained to me, the common areas might be shocking.  As is typical in China, the common areas had fallen into complete disrepair. But, I had seen the interior photos.  I knew we were okay.  And, in for a real treat.  I kept this knowledge to myself.  Scott trusted me and knew I would never have rented a place that was not safe. He remained calm while we checked in. (The apartment is astonishingly large compared to the space we have been sharing.  It would be a chance for us to have a little room….to spend time out of eyeshot of one another.  And our host was truly amazing.  He truly cared about our experience.  And, loves his historic apartment.  He was constantly checking on us.  Sending us directions to places or tips for how we might like to spend our day.)  A calculated risk.  That is what traveling means. Getting uncomfortable for a bit can pay off.

The apartment itself is meticulously cared for.  A special place away from it all.  The owner loves the historic element.  And, delights in being the owner of such loved space. This is his spot in the city that he can share with others.  Showing the boys that the interior is not always what it seems is what this trip is about.  I can only imagine what a large space like this would fetch in Portland, Oregon.  An original 1940’s building with all of the charm that it brings.  The boys could not believe it.   They did not imagine the comfort and care that was behind that hallway.

China has not been as easy for us to navigate.  Google does not get along with this country. Our phones do not work, our known systems do not work, we do not know how to access information or maps.  The internet, which seems constant in our lives, is different here. Not predictable.  No Facebook. No Instagram. We cannot speak the language (our fault, not the fault of this country). The water cannot be used from the tap (this alone astonishes the boys).  The smells are overwhelming.  The rivers and waterways are polluted. The water from the tap has an aroma to it.  There are days you cannot see the sun…..it is unclear whether this is fog or smog, or a mixture of both.

Maybe this is all our fault.  Was it that we did not plan our days very well?  We do not know how the systems work.  We do not know the language. Or, we have become tired of the constant movement forward, and want to talk to our friends and family back home.  (We really want to see them.  To eat a meal with them.  To know what they are doing.)

We continue to hope to see our dog very soon, to eat the foods we know, and have an easier day.  We talk about this as a family at our cobbled together meals.  This is our current reality.   Is this because of where we are, or whether we are just in that type of mental space for now?   China cannot be blamed for this type of exhaustion we seem to have.  The travelers are tired.   As adults, Scott and I know we could have been anywhere and eventually it would hit us.   Tomorrow is another day.  And, Vietnam is 5 days out.  A warmer climate……a new place to explore. Repeat Semester at Sea voyagers have spoken about this “I am over it” stage. The know it will pass and the delight will return.  We just need to wait it out for a bit. Press on.

We are existing within the confines of this reality.  Not only in space/place, but the feeling of being a fish out of our waters. When you travel you have to do the work.  I have learned this many times. We are expanding our versions of ourselves and this takes some serious diligence and mental toughness.  These lessons are not something you can get from the comfortable existence we all know at home.

The boys see us struggle with the not knowing.  We do not know how to order food, or what our day might look like, or where the taxi driver might drop us off. We are exposed to them as not being the experts here. They get to see us as the people we really are….rather than those who know things.  It is probably a bit unsettling for them…..we do not have the answers.  Or, does it change our family dialog for the rest of our days together?  Does it reduce us to simple people in the eyes of our boys?  We will see.

The amazing thing is that the planet continues to turn no matter what side we are on…….I watch the lit up horizon of Shanghai and see “home” just beyond the blinking buildings. I am grateful that China has allowed us to visit and see.  And, am a little sorry we seem to be unlike our usual forward moving selves.  Onward we go!  There is more ahead.   Tomorrow is another new adventure.

The boys are astonished by the choices on this menu.  Turtle?  Whole chickens?

Boys and Scott at the ancient water village.  We hired a boat and enjoyed the tour through the canals…..note the amount of clothing everyone has on.  It was so very cold!