Crossing the ocean to see you - a story of two cities by a senior "Hong Kong Drifter"

There is a song that goes, ""Crossing the ocean to see you, practising the breath of our reunion over and over again."" Eight years ago, I traveled from Beijing to Shenzhen, then by boat to Hong Kong, for a long-awaited family reunion, my child's education, and to follow my destiny in this place I can't avoid. Hong Kong, a small but dazzling ""Pearl of the Orient,"" always leaves me reluctant to leave and eagerly anticipating the next reunion. However, as I became a ""Hong Kong drifter,"" leaving behind my successful job and bidding farewell to loved ones, I found myself in a state of conflicting emotions. In the first couple of years, I faced numerous challenges and contemplated leaving. Yet, after three years, when I finally departed, I found myself missing Hong Kong. Now, whenever I return from a trip, I feel a sense of belonging and think, ""It's good to be home."" Despite the struggles of living in between, I am grateful for the opportunity to personally experience and compare Chinese and Hong Kong cultures as a new immigrant, witnessing the complex intertwining of love and hate during this unique period of China-Hong Kong integration.