{"id":10567,"date":"2014-11-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=10567"},"modified":"2014-11-09T09:28:20","modified_gmt":"2014-11-09T13:28:20","slug":"why-i-moved-from-beijing-to-kunming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/why-i-moved-from-beijing-to-kunming\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Moved from Beijing to Kunming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, my girlfriend and I made the decision to leave our good jobs, nice apartment, and generally awesome life in Beijing to go on an extended backpacking trip and eventually end up down in southwest China in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan. For our last few weeks in Beijing, our students kept asking why we were leaving our comfortable lives in the capital to move to what most would describe as a third-tier city. Since we arrived in Kunming two months ago, we’ve also been asked by many people here why we left Beijing and chose the Spring City for our next home. I’ve given it some thought, and here are my reasons for the move. My experience might help those who are pondering a move to China decide between one of the major cities or a smaller one.<\/p>\n

Why I Left Beijing<\/h1>\n
\"Lots

Lots of good times were had in Beijing.<\/p><\/div>\n

Let me preface this part by saying that I had some of the best years of my life in Beijing. It will always feel like a second home for me, and it’s without a doubt one of my favorite cities on Earth. That being said, after 4.5 years of living and working there, I was ready for a change of scenery. There were many factors that lead to our decision to move, but here’s a summary of the main points:<\/p>\n

The Weather Sucks<\/h2>\n
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A rare winter smile… it’s usually miserable.<\/p><\/div>\n

I’m from Michigan, so I’m used to hot summers and cold winters. It’s just so much worse in Beijing. Winter is bitter cold, but that’s not a huge problem for me – it’s the vicious wind and super dry air that gets to me. My skin peels like a snake’s during the Beijing winter, and my day is ruined the second I forget to grab my chap-stick or pack some lotion. Sure, the spring is nice, but it’s far too short and is also often accompanied by sandstorms. Summer is gross and sweaty, and the heat is multiplied by all of the concrete and steel. Fall is the best time of year, but just like spring it’s gone before you know it. One thing’s for sure – nobody moves to Beijing for the weather.<\/p>\n

Unbearable Air Pollution<\/h2>\n