Afterward, I took a taxi to the hotel, where I met Yanan’s family. Her father, her parents-in-law, and her son Eden had already arrived that morning by train—or rather by a combination of day and night train, since the journey from Shanghai to Ürümqi takes a full 39 hours. Yanan and her husband Lanxiang, on the other hand, had booked a flight to save time and therefore did not arrive at the airport until 9:20 p.m.

I was very happy to get to know the whole family and immediately felt comfortable with everyone. We went out for something to eat—I held back a little since I had just eaten—and afterward visited a shopping mall to stretch our legs and buy some fruit. The only thing I forgot was to take any photos.

What I looked forward to even more was seeing Yanan and Lanxiang again, so I took a taxi to the airport to welcome them. Normally, Eden should already have been asleep by then, but his grandmother allowed him to come along with me. During the ride back to the hotel, we had time to talk, but once we returned, everyone went to bed fairly quickly. I am extremely grateful to be part of this family trip. Tomorrow, we will properly set off for the first destination that, according to a Chinese saying, everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. I am curious to find out what it is like.