How Three Weeks in Dali Taught Me to Embrace the Uncertain
The most uncomfortable paths often lead to the most authentic versions of ourselves.
When Comfort Zones Crumble, Life Begins
I’ve always been the type of person who craves stability. The thought of constant change, of packing up and starting over, of barely catching my breath before the next departureit terrified me. But sometimes, the people who love us see possibilities we can’t yet imagine.
It was my wife’s patience and encouragement that finally convinced me. What started as a vague idea at the beginning of the year became reality, and with it came a decision that would reshape our family’s entire trajectory: three months of nomadic living, starting with our daughter Fufu and a city that held memories from eight years ago.
We were going back to Dali.
Returning to a Changed City (And a Changed Self)
Eight years ago, Dali was simple. The Cangshan Mountains stood sentinel, Erhai Lake stretched out like a mirror, and waking up each morning felt like feeling your own pulsealive, immediate, real.
This time, the ancient town had transformed. Commercialization had crept in like ivy, covering the authenticity we remembered. But here’s what I learned in that first moment of disappointment: flexibility is the traveler’s greatest asset.
The Pivot That Made All the Difference
Instead of clinging to nostalgia, we adapted. We left the ancient town and moved to the city district, settling into a two-story loft at Binhai Junyuan. The moment we walked in, it felt like home. Those three weeks became some of the most comfortable of our lives.
Key lesson: When your expectations don’t match reality, don’t fight itflow with it.
What Nomadic Living Taught Us About Family
Watching Fufu adapt to this lifestyle filled me with both pride and purpose. She’s joining us on this journey through different citiesa pattern that will define our next two years.
Why We Chose This Unconditional Path
Our biggest hopes for this adventure:
- Building adaptability: Teaching our daughter that “home” is wherever we’re together
- Expanding horizons: Showing her a bigger world beyond any single neighborhood
- Cultivating courage: Demonstrating that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, but moving forward despite it
Fufu is blessed, yes, but she’s also brave. At her age, she’s learning that the world isn’t something to fearit’s something to explore.
The Unexpected Gifts of Slow Travel
The Weekly Rituals That Grounded Us
Between coordinating with her kindergarten back home and settling into our new rhythm, we discovered the magic of routines in unfamiliar places:
Our Dali Library Tradition: Every week, the two of us would nestle into the local library, surrounded by books and whispered conversations. These moments became anchors in our floating lifeproof that stability doesn’t require the same four walls.
The Four Elements That Defined Our Dali Experience
1. Sleep Like You’ve Never Slept Before
Something about Dali’s altitude and air quality transformed our rest. We woke naturally, refreshed, ready.
2. Air That Heals
Yes, the UV rays were intensethe sunlight almost aggressive in its brightness. But breathing the air by Erhai Lake felt medicinal, each breath a small reset.
3. Food That Tells Stories
The community canteen we discovered in the ancient town became our culinary anchor. It wasn’t just about the foodit was about being part of a neighborhood, even temporarily. This communal dining experience became another reason to fall in love with this city.
4. Serendipitous Discoveries
Living by Erhai Lake meant stumbling upon unexpected beauty: sunrise reflections, impromptu conversations with locals, hidden walking paths. The unplanned moments became the most treasured.
What I Learned About My Fear of Change
I came to Dali resenting the “fluctuating state of life”that feeling of barely settling before needing to move again. But three weeks of nomadic living revealed a truth I’d been resisting:
The discomfort of constant change is actually the thrill of constant growth.
When we stop long enough to put down roots, we also stop expanding. The in-between spacesthe transitions I used to dreadare where the real living happens.
Your Invitation to Embrace Uncertainty
You don’t need to pack up your life and travel for three months to apply these lessons. But I challenge you to ask yourself:
- What comfort zone are you clinging to out of fear rather than joy?
- What would become possible if you said “yes” to uncertainty?
- Who in your life is patiently encouraging you toward growth?
Three Action Steps to Start Your Own Journey
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Identify one area of your life where you’re craving stability out of fear: Is it your job? Your daily routine? Your weekend plans? Name it.
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Make one small change this week: Stay at a caf you’ve never visited. Take a different route home. Say yes to an invitation you’d normally decline.
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Find your “patient encourager”: Who sees possibilities in you that you can’t yet see? Have a conversation with them. Listen.
The Home We Carry With Us
As I write this from our loft in Dali, watching the afternoon light paint patterns on the wall, I realize something profound: I don’t hate the fluctuating nature of life anymore.
I’ve learned that home isn’t a place we return toit’s a feeling we carry with us. It’s in the weekly library visits with my wife, in Fufu’s adaptable spirit, in the community cantinas that welcome strangers, in the willingness to pivot when the ancient town doesn’t feel right anymore.
The journey from initial resistance to genuine embrace wasn’t easy. But with patience (mine and my wife’s), courage (especially Fufu’s), and openness to the unexpected beauty hiding in every transition, we’ve discovered something invaluable:
The most uncomfortable paths often lead to the most authentic versions of ourselves.
Where will your next three weeks take you even if you never leave your city? The question isn’t about geography. It’s about willingness.
Are you ready to stop resisting and start flowing?