Finding Familiarity in a New City

gāng刚dào到zhè这zuò座chéngshì城市shí时，wǒ我juéde觉得měi每tiáo条jiē街dōu都chàbuduō差不多。

When I first arrived in this city, every street seemed much the same.

shǒujī手机dìtú地图néng能dài带wǒ我dào到mùdìdì目的地，què却bù不néng能ràng让wǒ我juéde觉得zìjǐ自己shǔyú属于zhèlǐ这里。

The map on my phone could get me to my destination, but it could not make me feel that I belonged here.

wèile为了shúxi熟悉zhōuwéi周围de的huánjìng环境，wǒ我juédìng决定měi每tiān天bùxíng步行yī一duàn段lù路。

To get to know my surroundings, I decided to walk part of my journey every day.

kāishǐ开始shí时，wǒ我zhǐshì只是jìzhu记住nǎxiē哪些lùkǒu路口yīnggāi应该zhuǎnwān转弯。

At first, I simply remembered which corners to turn at.

hòulái后来，wǒ我zhùyì注意dào到zǎocān早餐diàn店jǐ几diǎn点kāi开mén门，nǎ哪tiáo条jiē街xiàwǔ下午bǐjiào比较ānjìng安静。

Later, I noticed when the breakfast shop opened and which street was quieter in the afternoon.

yǒu有yī一tiān天，diàn店zhǔ主méiyou没有děng等wǒ我kāikǒu开口，jiù就wèn问wǒ我shìbùshì是不是hái还yào要zuótiān昨天mǎi买de的nà那zhǒng种miànbāo面包。

One day, before I said anything, the shop owner asked whether I wanted the same bread as the day before.

nà那yī一kè刻，wǒ我tūrán突然juéde觉得zhèlǐ这里bùzài不再wánquán完全mòshēng陌生。

At that moment, the place suddenly felt less unfamiliar.

wǒ我yě也kāishǐ开始gěi给péngyou朋友jièshào介绍fùjìn附近de的xiǎo小gōngyuán公园。

I also began telling friends about the small park nearby.

xiàyǔ下雨de的shíhou时候，wǒ我zhīdao知道nǎli哪里kěyǐ可以duǒ躲yǔ雨。

When it rained, I knew where to take shelter.

zhōumò周末méiyou没有ānpái安排shí时，wǒ我zhīdao知道qù去nǎli哪里zuò坐yī一zuò坐。

When I had no weekend plans, I knew where to go and sit for a while.

zhèxiē这些dìfang地方bìng并bù不tèbié特别yǒumíng有名，què却hé和wǒ我de的shēnghuó生活mànmàn慢慢chǎnshēng产生le了liánxì联系。

These places were not especially famous, but they gradually became connected to my life.

duì对wǒ我lái来shuō说，shúxi熟悉yī一zuò座chéngshì城市，shì是cóng从rèn认lù路biànchéng变成le了yǒu有zìjǐ自己de的rìcháng日常。

For me, getting to know a city meant moving from knowing the way to having my own everyday routines.