Best Way to Lose the 'Magic'? Just Go Experience It.
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I used to always want to travel with others, but over time, I've gotten used to exploring by myself. Sometimes, when you're with people, you're just not on the same wavelength, and you can't fully enjoy things. Now, I increasingly enjoy the solo life—watching movies alone, eating out alone, traveling alone. It's seriously awesome!!! Starting this year, I've traveled to so many places by myself and chatted with lots of strangers along the way. It's been such a great experience!
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Congrats, babe, on taking so many first steps! Being solo is truly awesome!! You rock!!!
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Same here. I just got back from Shanghai yesterday, and honestly, the city has lost some of its magic for me. It's definitely bustling and prosperous, no doubt, but I didn't feel that deep sense of awe or yearning. It might have been because of the May Day holiday crowds. I went to the Oriental Pearl Tower, and it was packed with people just taking photos for their social media. I didn't get any of that legendary 'Magic City' glitz and glamour. Maybe I just didn't experience its true essence, so my impressions were only superficial. It felt pretty much like any other major city, just with slightly better night views.
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Well, if you have money, then it's all glitz and glamour...
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I feel like disenchantment is the second stage. The third stage is rebuilding your own values and, after understanding the world better, consciously choosing to rekindle your love for it.
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An epiphany in the 'Dragon City'.
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I’d been studying and interning in Shanghai for ages but never really experienced its 'glitz and glamour.' Then I dated a rich, handsome guy who took me to restaurants costing several hundred per person and a hotel near the Bund – that’s when I finally got a taste of it. Maybe just seeing luxury cars on the street doesn't quite capture that 'glitz and glamour'; perhaps you only really feel it when you're sitting inside a supercar.
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Actually, I'm not really intimidated by the super-rich or the whole 'glitz and glamour' scene. What I'm naturally intimidated by are the highly academic types—like when I'm strolling around campuses such as Fudan or Jiao Tong. It's the same now, visiting Tsinghua in Beijing alone for the May Day holiday.
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I've been feeling this 'disenchantment' concept deeply lately. Whether it's things I once greatly admired or people I was interested in, as I get older and gain more experience, they often seem to boil down to 'it's not that big a deal after all.' I guess it's part of learning to respect and accept the world's diversity. Ultimately, it's about returning to your truest, simplest self.
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So well said.
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The first time I came to Shanghai and strolled along the Bund, I felt a spark, almost like love at first sight. I couldn't resist going again this May Day, but this time it felt quite ordinary, like meeting an old friend after many years. Things you once put on a pedestal gradually come down to eye level as your experience grows. There's a slight sense of loss in that, but I'm more gratified by my own growth.
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Wow, that's beautifully put! That transition from looking up to things to seeing them eye-to-eye is really a process of gaining clearer self-awareness.
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Strongly agree! Disenchantment happens when you've actually seen and experienced something, only to realize that much of its allure was a filter you applied yourself.
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Spot on!
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My 'disenchantment' with Shanghai comes from my school being in the suburbs; it feels just like being back in my hometown, hahaha!
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Hahahaha
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That's awesome! I also went to Shanghai solo for the May Day holiday. It was quite a moving experience for me. I walked like crazy every day, just exploring the city and reflecting. I'm still having withdrawal symptoms now!
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Hahaha, me too, a little bit.
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Hey, me too! I also came to Shanghai this May Day. Before I arrived, I really idealized it. But after coming, I found it’s indeed a bit different from what I had imagined. The best way to 'demystify' a place is to actually go experience it yourself.
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Exactly! We're on the same page. Before coming, my head was filled with images of a grand metropolis from TV shows and my own imagination. But after truly experiencing it, while there are certainly beautiful things, it's only when you strip away the glamorous filter we put on it that you see the real Shanghai.