去上海 | Moving to Shanghai

跟Rebecca约在街角见面，我看着她迎面走来，她剪了短发，给人感觉俏皮许多。我们点了东西之后，在靠门边的地方坐下。她问我怎么突然决定要去上海，我一时间不知道怎么回答。其实也不算突然，最近本来也打算辞职，想着既然要重新找工作，为何不换一座城市，刚好Zach在上海，所以就这么决定了。她看着我，说，这是一个很需要勇气的决定，毕竟要到一座新的城市，开辟新的生活。

Rebecca and I agreed to meet around the corner. I see her walking to me with her new haircut. She looks cute in short hair. We order something to drink and sit down near the door. She asks, “Why are you going to Shanghai all of a sudden?” For a second, I don’t know what to say. I’ve actually been thinking about quitting my job for a while. I was thinking, why not go to a new city since I’m going to get a new job. Plus, Zach is there. She looks at me and says, “It takes a lot of courage to make such a decision. After all, you are going to a new city and start a new life there.”

对我来说，在哪里生活其实并不那么重要，重要的是经历什么事和遇见怎样的人。那天在电话里跟Flaire说我要去上海找她玩，她问我为何不索性去那边工作，我才发现我没有什么不去的理由。在广州生活了五年多，对这个城市并没有太多留恋，当即应声说我会考虑，第二天就做下了决定。

For me, where I am doesn’t matter as much as what I experience and who I meet. I was talking on the phone with Flaire the other day, telling her that I will pay her a visit next month. “Why don’t you just come and work here?” She asked. And then I realized there’s not much stopping me from going actually. I spent the past five years in Guangzhou, but I still don’t feel like I belong. I told her I’d think about it. I made the decision the next day.

在过去的一年里，我在舒适圈里过着无比安逸的生活，生活的很多方面都很停滞，个人也没有太多成长或进步。我知道这是我的自我驱动不足，以及做事的积极性太弱所导致的。所以决定去上海，某种程度上，我是想通过改变外部环境，制造条件来激励自己跳出舒适圈，去更多的学习和体验。

I lived such a comfortable life in the past year, being in my comfort zone. I guess that’s why I feel I haven’t grown much and everything kind of feels stagnant. I know it’s because I’m weak in self-drive and activeness. Still, I want to push myself to go out of my comfort zone, to learn and experience more. And to some extent, that’s what moving to Shanghai means to me.

夜晚的广州没了白天的炎热，我们挽着手臂沿着江边散步，清风拂面。她问我接下来有没有什么想要努力获得的技能，我说写作和画画吧。不论是否得到了别人的注意或认可，这都是我愿意花时间去做的事情。她说她很喜欢去一些不知名的小地方，比如在公交站台挑一个站名比较有趣的地方，坐巴士前往，走走停停，再坐回来。也许到了上海我也会试着这么做，从新的角度去认识一座城市。

The evening in Guangzhou is actually kind of pleasant without the heat. We walk along the river in the breeze, holding arms. She asks if there’s anything I want to work on or learn. I say writing and painting. I am very willing to spend time doing it with or without attention or recognition from others. She says she likes to go to small and unknown places in the city, like taking the bus and going to a stop with a funny name. Walk around there and then come back. I might do that when I go to Shanghai. It sounds like an interesting way to know a city.