Spring in Beijing: Growing Up, Flying Far, Staying Ourselves

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--- May 2026

Traveling with a childhood friend is strange in the best possible way.

Because somewhere between airport queues, shared meals, getting lost in subway stations, and debating where to go next, you suddenly realize: this person has witnessed multiple versions of you.

Not just the current adult version who books flights and checks Google Maps. But also the awkward teenager version. The school-uniform version. The version of you that existed before the world became this complicated.

In my case, that person was Gladys, my friend since SMP and SMA days, and somehow life brought us all the way to Beijing together.

And honestly? The trip taught me more about people, adulthood, and peace than I expected.

1. Being “cuek” is an underrated life skill. 
One thing I deeply appreciated during this trip: having a relaxed, non-dramatic mindset is incredibly valuable. So many things become lighter when you stop taking every difference personally.

We could disagree on destinations, timing, shopping plans, or what to do next without making it emotional. Sometimes the solution was compromise. Sometimes it was simply:

“Yaudah, nanti ketemuan lagi di titik ini ya.”

And that was enough. No passive aggressive energy. No drama. No forcing people to enjoy things the same way we do. I think adulthood slowly teaches us that healthy relationships are not about becoming identical people. It’s about allowing differences to exist peacefully.


2. Stick with yourself.
Gladys loves shopping. Not in a reckless or impulsive way, though. She actually thinks a lot before buying things. She plans, calculates, compares, considers, and she eventually gets the things she truly wants.

That’s her way of self-appreciation. And I found that beautiful. She knows what she likes. She knows her league. And she sticks to it.

Meanwhile, I was the complete opposite. I had almost zero intention to shop. Everything I bought was either necessary, planned, or within a budget I had already decided beforehand.

And surprisingly, I never felt deprived. Not even once. Because I genuinely did not want more.

That trip reminded me how peaceful life becomes when people stop forcing themselves into other people’s desires. You do not have to want what everyone else wants.


3. Beijing was shockingly beautiful.
I grew up hearing so many negative narratives about China. But actually being in Beijing felt like confronting how incomplete global perceptions can be.

Because honestly? The city was AMAZING.

The technology. The infrastructure. The transportation system. The public facilities. The accessibility. Everything felt highly integrated and well-designed.

Of course, there were challenges. The language barrier was real. Unlike many international cities, English tolerance there was relatively low, so surviving without basic Chinese could genuinely be exhausting. But in terms of quality of urban living? Beijing gets 100/100 from me.

Although I must say: Indonesian hospitality still has no rival.


4. Cycling around the city healed something in me.
One thing I regret: I realized too late how enjoyable cycling around Beijing actually was.

I only truly experienced it on the last day. The air felt unbelievably fresh. The roads were supportive. The city was surprisingly bicycle-friendly. And for a moment, life felt very slow in a very good way. I cycled around and felt unreasonably happy about it. I remember taking a deep breath on most traffic lights to embrace the clean weather, it gave me a special feeling.

Gladys was terrified of cycling there though, and honestly, that was okay too. Again, back to point number one: we never made different preferences into emotional problems. No one needed to “win.”


5. The food was ridiculously good.
I genuinely do not think we found a single bad meal during the trip. Most foods were halal-friendly or easy to navigate. The portions were HUGE, so one meal often became two meals.

And the desserts? Wonderful.

Everything tasted intentionally balanced. Not overly sweet, but still satisfying. Like the ingredients were designed carefully rather than aggressively. It made eating feel enjoyable instead of overwhelming.


6. Maybe friendship is also about surviving time.
I think what touched me most about this trip was not Beijing itself. It was realizing that some people survive distance, adulthood, different routines, and different life stages, yet somehow still feel familiar. Not because nothing changed. But because both of us kept growing without demanding the other person stay exactly the same.

And maybe that’s what long-term friendship actually is.

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