What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

The first thing that I noticed about Beijing was the smog.

My flight landed at 7 p.m. and although it was dark, it was distinctly foggy. Or smoggy? HAZY. Yes, that was it.

Although I had been upgraded to business class on my flight from DC (post coming on that), I was uneasy. All of my international travel for the past few years has been with Jamie and while it’s not that I’m incapable of traveling alone, it’s more of a crutch thing.  Packing snacks and organizing dog care are my thing.  Organizing hotels and electronic devices are his.

I managed to find a hotel, book it, and get myself to Beijing, but the actual hotel transportation was considerably more difficult.  (WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED ADULTHOOD I DON’T LIKE IT.)

I had been warned by Trip Advisor that many taxis couldn’t find this particular hotel, but it had a 94% rating and was cheap, so I took my chances. I had read that giving the address of hospital across the street was much easier and worked every time. But, you know what did not work for me? THAT. The network for Google Translate was also too slow to work.

So, there I was alone, at night, at the Beijing Airport being that stupid American with my little address print out that no one could find. After being turned down by three taxi drivers and having both of the airport taxi directors look at the address and laugh (Umm..that’s comforting), I overpaid for a private tour driver. 

What actually happened was that his English-speaking friend came over to take part in the hullabaloo over this address, tried to convince me that he could take me because he knew the address, and was rejected when he said he was a bus driver (because I wanted a direct trip to my hotel).

He called his friend over, the private tour driver, and I proceeded to get in this guy’s minibus. Then I spent the 15 minutes on the way to the Holiday Inn Express contemplating how I would escape the vehicle if he was really a kidnapper or murderer and hastily updating my location services and texting Jamie my last known whereabouts. Because I realized, at age 32, that I totally just got into a minibus with a non-taxi driver stranger who spoke mediocre English, based on his word that he knew where my hotel was. See. I should not be allowed to travel alone.

Thankfully, I survived and am safe in my hotel room.  The private tour driver made mint on my fare, but I was not even arguing about it. You’re the only one who speaks English and knows where this place is? And, I made it without being robbed, kidnapped, or murdered? Take my money! I WILL PAY YOU IN US DOLLARS.

So, I’m here and everything smells of smoke. And there’s no A/C, because “it’s not summer,” which is totally reasonable, I guess, except that with the windows open, I’m breathing opaque air. I’m told that both the ubiquitous tobacco and smog are the norm in Beijing, and internally I'm screaming, “You people already have to breathe filthy air, stop smoking cigarettes too!” Oh, well. I've convinced myself that nothing I inhale tonight will do nearly as much damage as the years I shaved off my life dating a chain smoker in college. Plus, I didn’t get murdered.