I’ve finally arrived in China

It’s now past 3 a.m., and I’m wide awake with jet lag, enjoying the deep quiet of the night. In this stillness and silence, something that deepens my connection with myself, it feels like the perfect atmosphere to write.

I had planned to write before leaving, especially because in my previous post I didn’t fully emphasise how, over these ten years in London, I built many meaningful friendships and met truly special people. Because of them, I’ve come to feel at home there too.

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to write even a single line before departing. A series of events kept me extremely busy with preparations, especially paperwork, which until the very last moment never seemed quite enough.

I left from Rome, where I collected my visa. It was also a chance to see friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Even though I couldn’t return to Sardinia, as I flew toward Fiumicino and passed over Corsica, I caught sight of the Gulf of Asinara, it felt like a gentle caress through my eyes.

Between the anxiety of not being able to communicate and the awareness that I would have to rely on my phone for almost everything, I had to make a conscious effort to enjoy the moments before leaving.

I had never been to China before, and traveling alone in an unfamiliar environment, without knowing the language, was a significant step for me.

Still, I made it, despite a violent storm, with strong winds and fierce lightning, and thanks to a determined pilot who, after at least five landing attempts, decided to head south and refuel at a more accommodating airport along the coast.

There, I met incredibly kind and attentive people who helped me by booking a train ticket for the next day and taking me by taxi to the hotel.

It became an opportunity to see the sea, the inland areas, and above all to understand that I can trust even those I don’t know. I truly felt a sense of care from the people I met, and perhaps a way of living and relating that is very similar to the Italian, perhaps Mediterranean, spirit, which somehow made me feel at home.

And so, I’ve finally arrived in Jingdezhen, at the Taoxichuan centre, the institution that is hosting me, an entire world that would take days to describe. I think I’ll try to start sharing it in the coming days.

For now, I can say that I’ve already met both old friends and new people who have welcomed me warmly. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty and begin experimenting with the incredible variety of clays that, so far, I’ve only seen in picture.

Until next time.