I just wrapped up an amazing week with J and my sister in Hong Kong. Cat’s gone back to Seattle, and J and I are heading back to mainland China via train. Lucky for me, Changping is the first direct stop out of Hong Kong, so this trip is only about an hour.

Along the way, I pass through Shenzhen- a nearby city that reminds me just how amazing China’s skylines are. Every major city in China boasts a fantastic skyline with majestic buildings that I struggle to compare any American buildings with. Even the towns outlining the cities could put Las Vegas to shame. My town, though crumbling and littered in the daylight, glimmers with neon lights and marquees every night.  Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou host buildings that tower the tallest building in Seattle, and shimmer like Edward Cullen in July. Even Hong Kong’s apartment buildings dwarf Seattle’s commercial ones. Just a few days ago, we went to the Ritz Carlton in Kowloon, which has the highest bar in the world. Aptly names Ozone, this bar is 118 stories in the sky. Keep in mind that the Columbia Tower club sits at 76 stories.

Everything may be bigger in Texas, but it’s biggest in China.