Back then, it was known as a nightlife hotspot. It was where expats and young Beijingers went for a night of drinking and dancing—a Beijing version of DC’s Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle. As things go in Beijing, however, the area isn’t as hip as it once was. The new chic area of town moved further east, down to Sanlitun.

I fell in love with Tokyo quickly. Like maybe immediately. I don’t know. In the first few days there, I kept thinking about how it reminded me of New York City. It’s big, bustling, and full of life. But it’s a calmer, cleaner, and cheaper version of the Big Apple. Sure, Shibuya is Times Square meets Bourbon Street, but the rest of the city operated much slower than I expected for a city of 31 million.

If patience were an actual virtue, we’d be the most virtuous couple on the planet. After a five-week wait, we’ve finally sorted our wifi mess and, my brothers and sisters, it is the most glorious thing ever. The Luddites among you will shake their heads, the rest of humanity, the people capable of emotions, they’ll understand completely. Yes, yes, yes, I’m overreacting. One may even suggest this is all hyperbole, but what were we going to do if we couldn’t join Threads?

Settling is as settling does. A few days shy of a full month in the Chinese capital of Beijing and the settling is certainly threatening to move from subplot to main theme. We’re told, at some point, the whole exercise becomes an afterthought, an exercise from a bygone era of transition. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Moving to a place like Beijing has been a bit like parenthood. Everyone already here or with extensive experience has their own tidbits to share. Go here, use this app, hire this person, etc. It’s up to you to sort out which morsel will fit your needs. Because what works for some folks may not work for you. And that’s okay.

We’re well into our second week in Beijing and each day, we’re getting ever closer to the ever-elusive idea of being settled. Our US phones are still not functioning properly, which sucks, but is ultimately fine as we’ve sorted out basic communications with friends and family. We did finally get a food ordering app set up on our Chinese phones and that has been a game changer.