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FunFancie reviews her first year in Shanghai and looks ahead to 2024. She recalls arriving from Thailand during the pandemic, spending a week in quarantine and a month in company housing while apartment hunting in winter. She describes the challenge of adjusting to cashless payments without a local bank account, then settling into life and traveling to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Changsha and Beijing by high-speed rail. Her mother's visit and friendships with local and online contacts were highlights. For the new year, she plans to grow her channel and improve her sleep.
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The first year in Shanghai
FunFancie reflects on her first 365 days in Shanghai from the Lujiazui riverside. She describes resolutions as small, disciplined commitments rather than oversized goals. Her 2023 goals included becoming more extroverted, exercising and uploading videos consistently. She says she accomplished them. Moving from Thailand during the pandemic involved a week of quarantine in a hotel she did not know, followed by a month in company housing while she looked for an apartment. Winter in Shanghai was a major adjustment for someone used to tropical weather. She also struggled with the cashless system before getting a local bank account, and says it took several months to settle in.
Travel, friends and plans
Weekends became time to explore and recover. FunFancie's mother visited for a month, and sharing Shanghai with her became one of the year's most memorable experiences. She traveled to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Changsha and Beijing, using China's high-speed rail network. She also met fellow creators, colleagues and a Thai viewer named Casey who became a close friend and travel companion. The video mentions experiencing summer heat, autumn leaves and a cold winter without guaranteed snow. For 2024, she wants to grow her YouTube channel and work toward at least six hours of sleep. She estimates the year as 20 percent stress and 80 percent happiness and closes with thanks in Thai, English and Chinese.
A year of adjustment
FunFancie describes the practical difficulties that came with moving during the pandemic. Quarantine lasted a week, and she spent another month in company housing while searching for an apartment. Winter in Shanghai felt especially cold after Thailand. She also needed several months to open a local bank account and become comfortable with a cashless routine. The experience was stressful at first, but she eventually found a home and a rhythm for work and weekends. She frames her resolutions as small actions that take discipline, including exercising and posting videos regularly.
Shared experiences and the year ahead
Her mother's month-long visit stands out as a highlight, and FunFancie describes them as close friends. She also mentions people she met through work and online, including YouTubers, colleagues and Casey, a Thai viewer who became a close friend. Those relationships changed solo exploration into shared trips. High-speed rail made visits to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Changsha and Beijing possible. For 2024, she wants to grow her channel and improve her sleep. Her recap of the year includes hot summer weather, autumn foliage and a cold winter without guaranteed snow. The closing thank-you in Thai, English and Chinese acknowledges viewers who supported her while she built a life abroad.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What was it like moving to Shanghai during the pandemic?
- A: I had to quarantine for one week in a hotel I didn't know, then stay in company housing for a month while apartment hunting in freezing winter.
- Q: How did you adjust to cashless society in China?
- A: It was very difficult at first because I didn't have a local bank account for months, and people don't use cash here.
- Q: What was your best memory of 2023 in Shanghai?
- A: My mom's visit was the best — we are like best friends, and sharing Shanghai with her was super memorable.
- Q: How did you make friends in a new country?
- A: I pushed myself to become more extroverted as my resolution. I met Ben Coleman, Jesse, colleagues from work, and a Thai fan named Casey who became my best friend.
